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Thursday,
November 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Aggressive Shanta fuels differences Power reforms: panel to play big role Police to check illegal foreigners in Kangra CM: Rs 52 cr to be spent
on vocational training Bank saved, but
staff robbed |
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Tree felling: MC, CPWD lock horns Artificial lake project to be revived
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Aggressive
Shanta fuels differences Shimla, November 27 The frontal attack launched by him on the Delimitation Commission and the tone and tenor of his speech at Chamunda yesterday had made it clear that the party stalwart, who has been at the receiving end in the party affairs, was in a belligerent mood. His assertion that he was a public representative first and a minister afterwards only indicate that he would not take things lying down anymore. Most significant was his announcement that injustice to Kangra, in any form would not be brooked at any cost. It is for the first time since the Dhumal government assumed office that Mr Shanta Kumar has openly backed his supporters, who have been dubbed as dissidents, on a issue. Further, he has chosen to air his grievances publicly at a time when the Prime Minister is visiting the state. The entire Kangra district unit of the party had opposed the delimitation proposals initially and even given a bandh call in protest. The high command, however, termed the bandh as indiscipline and warned partymen against taking part in it. Subsequently, it climbed down on the issue and Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, state party chief, said the bandh, though not desirable, was not an act of indiscipline. However, it did suspend Mr Kamal Padha, general secretary of the district party unit and Mr Rakesh Chauhan, general secretary of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, for maligning the Chief Minister during the bandh. Mr Shanta Kumar has also for the first time mentioned his role and that of Kangra legislators in installing the BJP government and without directly criticising Mr Dhumal given enough indications that the district had been given a raw deal. The tough stand taken by Mr Shanta Kumar has put the party leadership in a bind. Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, when contacted said he could not say anything on the issues raised by Mr Shanta Kumar. He could only make the party’s stand on delimitation clear. Party insiders say they are not surprised over the hardening of stance by Mr Shanta Kumar. In fact, it was long overdue. The people of Kangra in general and his supporters in particular had started accusing him of not protecting the interests of Kangra. |
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Power reforms: panel to play big role Shimla, November 27 The Union Ministry of Power has asked the states to prepare “business plans” along with action plans under the guidance of the regulatory commissions to pull the electricity boards out of the red. Regulatory commissions have been put in place in most of the states over the past three years but the process of reforms has not gained the desired impetus due to the lackadaisical approach of the states. In fact, some states have been continuing with populist measures in blatant violations of the tariff orders and other direction being issued by the regulators. Himachal Pradesh is one such state which illegally rolled back the electricity charges almost six months after the tariff order of the regulatory commission came into force. In West Bengal, the Calcutta Electricity Supply Company had challenged the power tariff order of the commission but the Supreme Court in its recently judgement held that the regulator of each state has the “sole authority” to determine the electricity tariff. Worse most of the states set up the commissions to seek the release of reform linked funds under various schemes accelerated power development programme but did not pursue the reforms in the real sense. Consequently, there has been hardly any improvement in the functioning of state power utilities. Their financial health has been deteriorating. The gap between unit cost of supply and revenue as also the losses of state electricity boards have been increasing. Besides, there is persistent shortage of power and the system was plagued with problems of low-voltage and grid instability. The Union Ministry has made it clear that the situation could not be improved, unless the states carry out reforms wholeheartedly. Electricity was on the concurrent list and not only the Centre but also the states had a responsibility the states-owned controlled 60 per cent of the generation capacity, 70 per cent of the total transmission network and almost 98 per cent of the distribution system. With the government distancing itself from tariff regulation and with the kind of responsibility bestowed on the regulatory commissions, role of regulators becomes central to the success of the endeavours of the Centre towards reforms’ Mr R.V. Shahi, the Union Power Secretary has written to the states while underlining the importance of the regulatory commission. He has also made it clear that without the involvement of regulatory commissions the states will not be in a position to formulate any meaningful business plan to achieve a turn around. |
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Police to check illegal foreigners in Kangra Dharamsala, November 27 According to sources, all subdivisional police officers, particularly those at Baijnath and Palampur, have been directed to ensure that only those Tibetan youths are issued registration certificates who are born in India . No Tibetan can live in India unless he is issued a registration certificate by the local police. In the recent past there has been an unprecedented influx of Tibetans in McLeodganj who have been sneaking into India. Apart from the rise in the number of Tibetans in India, it is also causing worry to intelligence agencies as no one is sure if some Chinese spies have entered the country masquerading as Tibetans . This had happened in the past. It may be recalled that the police arrested three Tibetan youths including a girl, who were trying to smuggle out drawings of the Dalai Lama palace and had confessed that they were doing it for the Chinese. The security of the spiritual and temporal head of the Tibetan Government-in-exile is a major headache for the local police and intelligence agencies because China feels that with the death of the Dalai Lama, the freedom struggle of Tibet will also die. The local police is also critical of the role of the Tibetan Registration Office personnel at McLeodganj who are responsible for ensuring that no illegal Tibetan immigrant stays here, but it has been proved that there are hundreds of illegal Tibetans and foreigners living in and around McLeodganj and the Tibetan authorities do not co-operate with the police by pointing them out. Some years ago, five Tibetan youths were able to come to McLeodganj and escape after murdering the head of Buddhist Dialectic Institute and his two students in the heart of the Tibetan settlement and the police was informed more than two hours late when the youths had made good their escape. According to Mr R.M. Sharma, many Tibetans who had entered India illegally recently were able to get themselves registered with the foreign office with the help of Tibetan officials. He said steps were now being taken to check all applicants and issue registration certificates to only those who were proved to be born here. Instructions had been issued to subdivisional police officers also in this regard. The police planned to start a checking drive soon so that all Tibetans and foreigners staying illegally were found out and action taken . This would also help in ensuring that no illegal activity was allowed to develop in the district, he added.
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CM: Rs 52 cr to be spent
on vocational training Hamirpur, November 27 He said five trades were being taught in the Rail ITI while three more trades would be started in the near future to provide the youth of the area vocational training so that they could start self-employment ventures. The Chief Minister said there was great demand for skilled manpower in different trades in the market and by getting training in these ITIs, the youth would be able to also earn a good income. He said there was limited scope of getting employment in the government sector and urged the educated youth to acquire training in vocational institutions to be self-employed. Mr Dhumal said that the government was providing technical know-how in the horticultural and agricultural activities to boost farming activities. He said cash crops would provide farmers much higher returns than traditional crops. The government was providing subsidies on fertilisers and pesticides to enable farmers to adopt diversification in their traditional cropping practices and adequate irrigation facilities were also being provided to make farming a beneficial profession. He said that a subzi mandi was being constructed at Nadaun to help farmers sell their produce at remunerative prices nearer their homes. He said with the adoption of diversification, off season vegetable growers of the Hamirpur district had earned an income of Rs 2 crore. The Chief Minister said a Rs 12 crore drinking water supply scheme for Hamirpur town was nearing completion. It would also provide residents of the district headquarters sewerage facilities. He said a Rs 8.75 crore irrigation scheme had been sanctioned for the Nadaun assembly segment and work would start on the project soon. The Chief Minister announced grants of Rs 1 lakh for the Community Centre and Rs 2 lakh for repairs on the Government Senior Secondary School, Rail, building besides Rs 25,000 for the Peer mela. Addressing a function at Buhana village, Mr Dhumal appealed to the people to extend their cooperation in executing various development projects in their areas. Mr Dhumal was speaking after inaugurating the 6-km long Matlana-Bhuana road constructed at a cost of Rs 54 lakh. He said a 122-km new road had been constructed in the Bamsan Assembly segment and 120 km of roads metalled since the present government came to power in the state. He said the government was considering a proposal to construct a Matlana-Bhuana-Sangroh-Samirpur road in the near future. |
Bank
saved, but staff robbed Una, November 27 Police sources said the three men, two of them wearing turbans, entered the bank premises at about 2 pm at gun point and ordered the Manager to part with all cash in the bank. However, today being a Wednesday, there were no transactions at the bank and the currency chest was locked, bank officials said. The robbers, however, collected a sum of Rs 2,200 from pockets of bank staff and fled from the scene in a red car, parked outside. The intruders took care to cut the telephone cables before entering the bank. The security guard and the Manager were locked inside the bank toilet by the robbers before fleeing, the police said.
UNI |
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Tree felling: MC, CPWD lock horns Shimla, November 27 The MC is constructing a road under the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojna, but when some trees were cut, the CPWD laid claim to the land and put up warning boards and erected railings, which angered the local people who uprooted them. But CPWD officials admit that the land belongs to them and the road is being constructed without permission. Mr Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, former councillor, in whose tenure the construction work started, said the CPWD should have taken action from the outset and added that no trees had been felled during the road construction. |
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Artificial
lake project to be revived Solan, November 27 The project, which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister in December 1999, had run into rough weather after a team of geologists from Roorkee rejected it after the soil samples failed to confirm to the required standards. This had landed the district administration in an embarrassing situation as the Chief Minsiter had already laid the foundation stone of the project by then. Unsuccessful attempts were made to revive the project with the proposal for a lake getting through for a brief period this year. Despite incurring an expenditure of about Rs 60,000, the project failed to become a big draw among tourists. The locals who had undertaken construction of restaurants along the proposed lake in order to cash on the opportunity, left their projects half way since the artificial lake project could not take off. Now the district administration is desperately trying to revive the project by mooting a proposal for constructing a bridge and cafeterias to beautify the area. |
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Task force
to check
pollution Shimla, November 27 The task force will ensure that ambient air quality standards are maintained in the main towns as per the directions of the Supreme Court. It will be headed by the Principal Secretary, Science and Technology.
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College
inspected
by MCI team Shimla, November 27 The health administration had made ad hoc appointments of doctors at the last minute and ensured cleanliness. However, paramedical
staff members organised a protest rally against the IGMC authorities.
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