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Tuesday,
December 10, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Delimitation fuels BJP infighting BJP on slippery ground in Hamirpur 27 BJP men, dist
JD chief join Cong CPI to contest 30 seats Centre okays stage II of
Parbati project Tax structure simplified |
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Teachers back
agitating union Violation of rights
rising: Tibetan body Shimla, December 9 The Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Forest Secretary to take decision on the issue of price of trees grown on private land by January 31,2003. Postal staff go on relay fast Councillors boycott MC meeting 2 of marriage party drowned in well
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Delimitation fuels BJP infighting Shimla, December 9 The district unit which held a meeting at Dharamsala yesterday demanded not only the reinstatement of Mr Kamal Padha, general secretary, and Mr Rakesh Chauhan, general secretary of the district Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, but also urged the party’s state high command to take action against three leaders for indulging in anti-party activities. Mr Trilok Kapoor and Mr Jagmail Katoch, were charged with making a derogatory statement against Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development. Mr Bhikham Padgotra had moved court against the party during organisational elections. A resolution was passed in the meeting demanding action against them and handed over to Mr Ram Swaroop, party state secretary, who was present at the meeting. Mr Padha and Mr Chauhan were suspended from the party for projecting Mr P.K. Dhumal, Himachal Chief Minister, as the “Khalnayak” (villain) behind the delimitation during Kangra bandh organised in protest against delimitation proposals. The state leadership was accused of double standard in the matter of enforcing discipline at the meeting. Action was being taken keeping the faction loyalties in view. Those criticising Mr Shanta Kumar were being rewarded. They cited the example of Mr Trilok Kapoor, who had been made a member of the Central Wool Board, in this regard. In absence of intervention by the central leadership the crisis in the party is worsening. With the Shanta camp coming out openly against the rival Dhumal camp on the delimitation issue, stage has been set for an intense faction fight in the party. The charges being traded by the leaders of two groups in the media have affected the image of the party. The intense infighting will have a bearing on the proposed “Vishwas Yatra” of Mr Dhumal from December 22, which was planned for a headstart to the party in electioneering. The cadre is feeling demoralised and awaiting the intervention of high command to resolve issues. Mr Ganesh Dut, a spokesperson of the Himachal BJP, said today that blowing up differences between Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister and Mr Shanta Kuamr Union Minister for Rural Development would not lead the Congress anywhere and advised the party to put own house in order. In a statement, here, he said there was no mistrust among the BJP leaders and they were united in the fight against the Congress. The Dhumal government had completed full term despite Congress disinformation campaign. |
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BJP on slippery ground in Hamirpur Hamirpur, December 9 There are five Assembly constituencies in the district — Nadaun, Hamirpur, Bamsan, Mewa (reserve) and Nadaunta. The BJP is in control of all these seats. The party had won these seats by defeating the Congress with massive margins, except in Nadaun. As per the proposals of the Delimitation Commission, the names of Mewa and Nadaunta were changed to Bhoranj and Barsar, respectively. Similarly, the Bamsan constituency was divided into two and one was merged with Hamirpur and the other with the newly created Sujanpur. The proposals had invited strong protests from the people of the district. So much so that Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman had filed objections for shifting of some of his areas to the newly created Hamirpur constituency. Mr Dhiman is the happiest most man at the movement as he will have to contest the next election from his old constituency, which he had nursed well. The BJP leaders were so hopeful about the delimitation process that they had started visiting new areas to garner votes. Prominent among them were Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Parliamentary Secretary Urmila Thakur. People of Lagwalti area in the Bamsan Assembly segment were the worst hit as they were made part of the newly created Sujanpur constituency. These people are now happy that they remain part of the Bamsan Assembly segment. However, a section of the people of the area are unhappy with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for keeping them out from his own constituency since they had voted for him. It is ditto for people of Chamboh area which was made part of the Bhoranj Assembly segment. Mrs Urmila Thakur may find it difficult to heal the feelings of the people of Hamirpur town in the coming elections. She had started working in the newly created Sujanpur constituency and had left the people of the town in a dilemma. She may now find it difficult to convince them to vote for her. Insiders in the BJP say that the decision of the Delimitation Commission is bound to hit their leaders. The party will have to bring in new faces if it wants to win the five Assembly seats next time. The BJP dissidents are happy over the decision of the Delimitation Commission. However, those is power feel that the decision of the commission will not harm them as they have done a lot for the people. Congressmen are happy over the decision of the Delimitation Commission. Though the party had opposed the proposals of the Delimitation Commission, yet most were happy with the proposals as these suited them politically. However, they kept mum as they did not want to offend the people of any area. |
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27 BJP men, dist
JD chief join Cong Nurpur, December 9 It was stated by Mr Sat Mahajan, former PCC chief and senior Congress leader, while addressing a public meeting at Gurchal, near here, yesterday. The meeting was organised by the local unit of the Block Congress Committee. On the occasion 27 BJP activists of the area, besides Kangra district Janata Dal (JD) president Dev Raj, joined the Congress. They were welcomed by the Kangra district Congress president, Mr Milkhi Ram Goma. Mr Mahajan while welcoming the new entrants into the party fold assure them that they would get due respect in the Congress. He lambasted the Dhumal government in the state for fiscal mismanagement, corruption and nepotism. The meeting was also addressed by the DCC president, Mr M.R. Goma, and the general secretary of the state Ex-servicemen Cell of the Congress, Mr
K.C. Rajput. |
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CPI to contest 30 seats Bilaspur, December 9 The CPI state secretary, Comrade Shankar Singh Chandel, while addressing a district council meeting here today said the CPI would field candidates in all four segments of the district. It has been decided to field Diwanrana Chaudhary and Rajender Kumar Dhiman from the Ghumarwin and Gahadwin (reserved) constituencies, respectively |
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Centre okays stage II of
Parbati project Chamba, December 9 Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr R.V. Shahi, Secretary (Power), Union Ministry of Energy, claimed that since the 300-MW Chamera hydroelectric project (stage II) on the Ravi in Chamba district was making good progress and likely to be comnissioned in June, 2003, more than one year ahead of schedule. Mr Shahi said the NHPC was preparing the draft project report (DPR) of the 231-MW Chamera hydroelectric project (stage-III) which was expected to be submitted to the Government of India for techno-economic clearance within a month’s time. He hoped that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) would accord clearance latest by February next year, following which global tenders would be floated for the construction of the project. He said the NHPC would award the construction work on the Chamera project (stage-III) on a turnkey basis through international competitive bidding. He said harnessing of 3,600-MW Teesta basin project had been assured by the Sikkim Government. He said the NHPC also planned to undertake 20,000-MW Siang basin projects in Arunachal Pradesh in a phased manner. Mr Shahi said the Union Ministry of Energy had decided to generate 41,000 MW of power by harnessing all natural resources available in the country during the Tenth Plan. He said 3,000 MW of energy would be generated from other non-conventional resources. Referring to the bleak fiscal condition of state electricity boards (SEBs) all over the country. Mr Shahi said the Ministry of Energy had launched various programmes, like the accelerated power development reforms (APDR), with a view to conserving energy and properly utilising it. Mr Shahi yesterday released the inaugural issue of a journal titled “ Jyotipunj, brought out by the NHPC Ladies Welfare Association, Banikhet. Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of the NHPC, Mr S.K. Dodeja, Managing Director, Narmada Hydropower Corporation and Mr A.K. Sachdeva, Executive Director, Region-II of the NHPC, also accompanied the Power Secretary. During his visit to the Chamba region Mr Shahi inaugurated an administrative block of the Chamera project (stage II), a VIP guesthouse and a vocational centre set up by the Yog Manav Trust. |
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Tax structure simplified Shimla, December 9 The system of self-assessment has been encouraged by starting Maitri Yojana-99 and Viswas-2000 for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, respectively. Similarly, Sadbhavana-2000 has been introduced under the sales tax law to provide relief to small and middle traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs 50 lakh. Under the scheme, eligible dealers are required to file tax returns on self-assessment with the appropriate assessing authority by December, 2002. Mere acknowledgement of the self-assessment statement will ordinarily be deemed to be assessment order. The Excise and Taxation Department is taking steps for the implementation of the scheme and Excise Commissioners of all districts are organising meetings with the Beopar Mandals and holding camps at different places to apprise the dealers about the scheme. The government has made earnest efforts to simplify the tax structure and rules. Under the rationalisation plan, tax on timber and charcoal has been reduced from 30 per cent to 8 per cent and a provision to levy tax on poplar and eucalyptus instead of sales tax was made. In view of growing competition from other states, a provision for uniform tax rates has been made. All old and new information technology-based industries have been made tax-free for five years. The state government, besides making an effort to replace the Punjab Tax Act applicable in the state, has constituted a Sales Tax Tribunal and Tax Advisory Committee. Besides protecting the traders from unwarranted interferences from various quarters, simplification and rationalisation of tax procedures will go a long way in mitigating the woes of the business community. |
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Teachers back
agitating union Kangra, December 9 Disclosing this here in a statement, the spokesman of the union, Mr Sanjeev Kapoor said Dr Yashwant Rana, state president of the teachers’ mahasangh had requested leaders of various unions in the state to extend support to the ongoing agitation of these employees who are sitting on fast outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharamsala for the past 42 days. Mr Kapoor was critical of Education Minister, Mr Dhiman and the Education Secretary for their alleged ‘inhuman’ attitude towards the agitating employees. He said that the employees of the primary wing of these schools were without salary for the past 20 months. He demanded that these schools be taken over by the government. Meanwhile the Education Minister said the government would implement the Supreme Court direction. The delay in the disbursement of the grants was because of the financial crunch the state was facing. |
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Violation of rights
rising: Tibetan body Shimla, December 9 The Tibetan Congress lamented that the United Nations and its various outfits had failed to secure China’s commitment to observing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other covenants signed by the country. It was because of this reason that the 11th Panchen Lama, “the world’s youngest political prisoner of conscience,” held in China since 1995, had not been released and even his whereabouts were not known, it said. The Panchen Lama was “kidnapped” by the Chinese authorities a day after the Dalai Lama recognised him as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. At the time of his arrest, he was six years old. For seven years, China has refused to allow anyone to meet him despite pressure from human rights organisations, the Tibetan Youth Congress said. The Tibetan organisation alleged that Geshi Sonam Phuntsok, a senior religious teacher in the Kadze province, was arrested on the charge of being involved in the bombing of a clinic. The Chinese Government has failed to substantiate the charge till now, it said, adding that his whereabouts were not known since 1999. |
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Forest Secy told to decide on tree price Shimla, December 9 About 182 petitions were filed in the court challenging the decision of the Forest Department whereby the department is using different yardsticks for fixing price of trees grown on private land and those on government. According to petitioners”, prior to 1982, the forest produce including trees, could be sold to anyone, but after the implementation of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Produce Regulation Act, 1982, forest produce can only be sold to the government. It is provided in the Act that the government will decide the price of trees on the recommendation of a committee consisting members of the Agriculturists Association, Forest Department, Forest Corporation and a government representative. It was alleged in the petitions that the government was not following the rules and no meeting of such committee was held in the year 2000-2001. The government fixed different rates for similar kind of trees grown on private land. The prices of trees grown on private land were fixed at less than half the prices of trees grown on government land. |
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Postal staff go on relay fast Shimla, December 9 Raising anti-government slogans, they demanded, among other things, the filling of vacant posts in groups III and IV categories and proportionate increase in allowances. The call for the relay fast was given by the All-India Postal Employees Union (Group C). Himachal assistant circle secretary (Group C) Jagat Ram said the employees expressed their resentment against the government’s decision to abolish 3,760 Class III posts in the country. A dharna was organised by postal employees at the General Post Office at Una. Union leaders criticised the government for not implementing certain recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission regarding some allowances, a report from Una said.
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Councillors boycott MC meeting Hamirpur, December 9 Mr Dig Vijay Singh and Mr Ajay Sharma, two councillors, said this evening that when they were informed about the meeting they told the MC president that it was not possible for them to attend the meeting on such a short notice. |
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2 of marriage party drowned in well Una, December 9 The deceased were identified as Karam Singh (24) and Balbir Singh (28). They were sitting on the well’s edge when one of them lost his balance and fell into the well. In an effort to save him, his companion also drowned. The police said their bodies had been recovered from the well and sent for a post-mortem examination.
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One injured in leopard attack Hamirpur, December 9 |
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