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Friday,
January 24, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Power
crisis hits Himachal CPM
for probing Dhumal’s assets EC
restrictions on R-Day speeches NCP
to contest 28 seats |
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Constitutional
crisis likely in HP Code
violations: HVC candidate complains to EC Sirmaur
HVC opposes pact with Congress Gen
Dayal ‘misleading’ ex-servicemen 3
Himachal DIGs shifted Punjab
cops rounded up Bilaspur
gets 30 lakh under IWDP Taxi
drivers, youths clash, 2 held Naik
Ashok Kumar cremated
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Power crisis hits Himachal Shimla, January 23 The otherwise power surplus state
normally faces shortage during the winter but this year the shortfall has become too large due to the abnormal weather conditions. The people of the state are reeling under long power cuts as the availability of power has come down drastically over the past fortnight. As against a daily requirement of 100 to 105 lakh units, only about 78 lakh units are available. According to officials of the state electricity board, there is an average shortfall of 24 lakh units. The prevailing dry condition has brought down the discharge in rivers which has affected power generation. The generation in the board’s own projects during the current month has come down to 12 lakh units as against the normal 15 lakh units. Similarly, the state is not receiving its normal share in central projects due to reduced generation in hydroelectric projects and transmission problems in Rihand project. Against a share of 64 lakh units it is receiving about 57 lakh units. The Punjab State Electricity Board, which supplies power to the state during the winter under an arrangement, is not in a position to give adequate supply due to the severe cold conditions which has increased consumption in the plains. Only 10 to 12 lakh units are available as against the normal 20 lakh units. In the situation the board has been left with no other option but to impose power cuts. Board officials said cuts were being imposed in a regulated manner so that no area was denied power for long. Meanwhile, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, has alleged that the Dhumal government is not serious about resolving the power crisis. HAMIRPUR: The district has been facing power cuts to the past one week as a result, businesses and other activities have been adversely affected. There is an hour-long power cut every alternate hour, taking the period of power cuts to six hours a day. The use of diesel-based generators consequently, has led to smoke pollution in the city. The severe power cut has also led to water crisis and people find it difficult to get water from government sources. There is an acute water shortage in the interiors of the district and most of the old water supply sources have started drying up. The scanty rainfall in the district during the past monsoon season and the current winter season, has aggravated the problem. People of the district have approached the Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal and senior officers to provide them with water and power. MANDI: Power generation at the three power houses at Shanan, Bassi and Dehar in the district has been reduced to one-fourth due to the prolonged dry weather prevailing in this part of the country over the past five months. The higher reaches, which used to be covered with a thick sheet of snow are wearing a greyish look. The water discharged into the rivers has also been alarmingly reduced. Power generation in the 110 MW Shanan power house in Jogindernagar subdivision of the district has been reduced to mere 24 MW. Only two of the five generators are functioning. The 60 MW Bassi power house is producing only 15 MW. Only one of the four generators is working due to shortage of water in Uhl river. Similarly, the water discharge into the Sutlej has been reduced considerably as a result of which the 990 MW Dehar power house of the BBMB is generating around 250 MW only. Unannounced power cuts have been imposed. |
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CPM
for probing Dhumal’s assets Shimla, January 23 The party lamented that the BJP, which came to power on the promise of eradicating corruption, gave the state the most corrupt government with Mr Dhumal himself having acquired assets worth crore of rupees in Jalandhar alone. The party did not fulfil the election promise that its legislators would declare their assets within three months after election to the Vidhan Sabha. The BJP in the state followed its central leaders who indulged in corruption as was evident from by Tehelka episode, petrol station allotment scam, UTI and other scams. Not only the opposition parties and several other organisations, even the MLAs and certain ministers of the ruling BJP had levelled charges of corruption against the government in hydel projects, allotment, transfers, and recruitment. The Subordinate Services Selection Board at Hamirpur had become a ‘den of corruption’. Besides, there were scams in the Health Department and the Jalandhar connection of the Dhumal government was apparent in the award of contracts. The party decided to make corruption its main issues in the campaign for Assembly elections and ensure that the BJP was exposed before people. |
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Thakur, Dhiman
CPI candidates Bilaspur, January 23 CPI district secretary Diwana Ram Chaudhary said here this evening that this was decided by the CPI state council special meeting under the chairmanship of Mr Nanak Singh. Headed by Mr Shankar Singh
Chandel, a seven-man campaign committee was formed. |
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EC
restrictions on R-Day speeches Solan, January 23 According to sources in the Election Department, the Election Commission recently sent a directive to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state asking the latter to ensure that the ministers and other government functionaries restricted their Republic Day speeches to the lauding the role of freedom fighters during freedom struggle and extolling glories of India only. It is learnt that the Chief Electoral Officer had, accordingly, sent communications to the dignitaries concerned seeking compliance with the Election Commission’s directive. Similar directive had also been sent to the District Election Officers. There had been occasions in past when the Deputy Commissioners presided over Republic Day functions at District headquarters. Subdivisional Magistrates often presided over sub-divisional functions. Even though the Election Commission’s directive had not been welcome to the ruling party leaders here, it would hardly affect the public at large. Republic Day had come to be perceived more as a holiday than a national day in the perception of the public here. The ministerial worthies, who had been presiding over Republic Day functions had often delivered their speeches to near empty stands year after year here. However, it had been observed that the size of the gathering increased manifold as soon as the cultural programme commenced. |
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NCP
to contest 28 seats Shimla, January 23 Stating this at a press conference here today Gen
R.S. Dayal, President, state unit of the NCP, said the party had decided to go it alone in the elections. He said corruption and misgovernance would be the party’s poll plank. The party was entering the poll arena with a view to “cleansing” the polity and bring transparency in the administration, he added. He said the party, though new, had a small but solid base as it emerged from the ex-servicemen manch which was formed to bring retired service personnels under one umbrella. Later, it was broad based and transformed into the State Ekta Manch to include people from other walks of life. As regional parties did not have a future in the state, the manch was merged into the National Congress Party. Agreeing that terrorism was a national issue General Dayal maintained that it could be stamped out completely if the political leadership had the will to do so. He said the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East would have been wiped out had the government showed determination and made serious effort in this direction. He cited the example of Punjab in this regard and said terrorism was eliminated only because the government showed determination to get rid of it. Regarding the streamlining of the administrative system he said, there should be total decentralisation and petty matters concerning people should be settled at
panchayats, block and district levels. Under the present set up the powers of officers had been usurped by politicians and they had been reduced to dummies as result of which the people were suffering. This had to be rectified. Besides, removing unemployment and improving the financial health of the debt-ridden hill state was a major challenge. The debt burden had increased from Rs 5000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore during the tenure of the Dhumal government. A serious effort was required to reduce debt burden. He announced the names of candidates for five seats. Mr Surinder Ram would contest from
Santokhgarh, Mr Ramesh Prasher from Chintpurni, Mr Malook Singh from
Gagret, Mrs Pushpa Chaudhary from Kangra and Mr Vikram Singh Mahal from Nagrota
Bagwan. Mr Zafar Akhtar, national secretary of the party, who was also present at the press conference, said there was no change in the party’s stand on the issue of debarring foreigners from becoming Prime Minister of the country. The party was not opposed to Mrs Sonia Gandhi taking over as President of the Congress and Leader of the Opposition but she was not fit to take up the top post as she even lacked the working knowledge of Hindi and not conversant with country’s problems and
ethos. |
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Constitutional crisis likely in HP
Shimla, January 23 The monsoon session of the Assembly concluded on September 2, 2002, and the Assembly must meet before March 1, 2003, to meet the constitutional requirement, failing which there would be a question mark on the status of the outgoing Assembly. In 1971, the last session concluded on September 17, 1971 and the polling was held in two phases on March 5 and 8, 1972. A special one-day session of outgoing Assembly was held as convening the session of the new Assembly before March 16,2002 was not possible. This time too, the polling would be held on February 26, 2003, and the counting of votes would take place on March 1, 2003. There will hardly be any time left for holding the Vidhan Sabha session before or after the polling on February 26. Constitutional experts feel that the Assembly might have to be dissolved on or before March 1 next to avoid any constitutional crisis and the new Assembly would meet after the elections were held and new government formed. The constitutional experts also rule out the possibility of holding a brief session before the poll as convening the session after the commencement of poll process might amount to constitutional impropriety. The Himachal Assembly held only two sessions during 2002 and the total number of sittings was 21, which was 14 short of the requirement of holding at least 35 sittings as per business rules.
PTI |
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Code violations: HVC candidate complains to EC Shimla, January 23 He said the MP Local Area Development Fund had not been released although the funds were released by the Government of India in the middle of December. The HVC candidate alleged that JCB machines were being deployed for repair of roads and work orders being issued and tenders floated in violation of the Code of Conduct. Mr Chauhan cited the example of incomplete Keeth link road which was inaugurated by the Horticulture Minister and another MP Local Area Development Fund road
Shulidhar-Shallan, inaugurated by the minister despite objections to it. |
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Sirmaur
HVC opposes pact with Congress Nahan, January 23 While presiding over the district-level working committee meeting here Mr Khan-e-Wahid District Vice-President of the district unit of the HVC, said the move to forge an electoral alliance would send wrong signals among party workers at the time of the elections. This might effect the moral of workers in the state. He said the stage had been set to give a tough fight to the Congress and the BJP on all five Assembly seats. The party had forwarded the names of Mr Rajender Mohan Ramoul and Mr Jogi Ram for Paonta Sahib, Mr Madho Ram for Renuka and Mr Jai Chand for the party ticket from this
constituency. |
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Gen
Dayal ‘misleading’ ex-servicemen Shimla, January 23 Talking to newspersons he said some of the problems being faced by ex-servicemen in the state were created by the Punjab government. He said exservicemen of Una, Kangra and Mandi were denied liquor quota for two months as the Excise and Taxation Department of Punjab did not allow the Army authorities to stock liquor for sale in Himachal in the state. The Army had to lift its quota from Ambala, which raise the cost of a bottle of liquor by Rs 21. There was no need for the Punjab government to discontinue the practice in vogue for the past several decades. He said the BJP government provided with government jobs to 541 ex-eservicemen and loans to another 431 for starting ventures under the self-employment scheme. Besides the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the states gave deserved honour to martyrs and provided adequate financial assistance to their dependants. Those who attained martyrdom in Kargil were given state funeral and as a matter of policy it was decided that the Centre would give Rs 7 lakh and the state Rs 3 lakh to those sacrificed
their lives. Even the dependants of personnel of paramilitary forces, dying in harness were being given Rs one lakh. During the Congress rule the dependants did not receive any assistance. |
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Himachal DIGs shifted Shimla, January 23 Earlier, the DIG (General Range), Mr
O.S. Thakur, was shifted and posted as the DIG Headquarters because his relative had announced to contest the Assembly elections on February 26 from Kulu constituency. As per the state government orders the DIG (Southern Range), Mr Sanjay Kumar has been posted as such in the Central Range. The DIG (Northern Range), Mr
K.C. Sadyal, succeeds Mr Sanjay Kumar. The DIG (Police Training), Mr
M.L. Negi, has been asked to hold an additional charge of the Northern Range.
UNI |
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Punjab
cops rounded up Nurpur, January 23 They allegedly tried to lift a kiosk owner on the pretext that he had been supplying narcotics to the accused nabbed by them. Meanwhile, an altercation started between them, sensing trouble a mob of local residents gathered on the spot. The Punjab police personnel were thrashed by the irate mob. The Punjab police had not informed its Himachal counterpart before entering their jurisdiction. The local police was informed about the presence of the Punjab police personnel. They rushed to the spot and rounded up the police personnel under 107/51 of the CrPC. According to the police, they have been identified as Kuldeep Singh, SI Naresh Kumar, constable, Gurinder Singh, SPO and Dalbir Singh Home Guard Jawan. The police also impounded their Tata Sumo which was without number plate. Mr Rakesh Pathania, local MLA, in a statement issued here today reacted sharply to action taken by the Punjab police in the border area of the state. He said the state unit of the BJP had faxed a complaint to the Election
Commission against the Punjab Government in the regard. |
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Bilaspur
gets 30 lakh under IWDP Shimla, January 23 Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh will get Rs 30 lakh while Dhamtari district of Chhatisgarh Rs 149 lakh. These funds will be utilised for the completion of the ongoing watershed projects, taken up prior to April 1, 1999 in the two districts. The expenditure on implementation of the programme will be shared on 75:25 basis between the Centre and the state, respectively. An official spokesman said today that the development of wasteland and degraded lands under the programme was expected to promote employment generation in rural areas besides enhancing the participation of people at all stages leading to sustainable development of land and sharing of benefits.
PTI |
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Taxi
drivers, youths clash, 2 held Shimla, January 23 Two persons have been arrested in this connection and a case registered against the taxi union for blocking the road. According to the police, the trouble started when a resident of Taradevi wanted to hire a taxi and an argument occurred over the fare leading to his thrashing by taxi drivers. The resident called his friends on the mobile phone and they attacked the taxi drivers with stones and hockey sticks. When they were not able to catch the taxi drivers they damaged nine taxis. The taxi union members has flayed the role of the police in the incident. |
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Naik
Ashok Kumar cremated Dharamsala, January 23 Ashok Kumar, 37, who was serving 29 Rashtriya Rifles, attained his martyrdom in Baramula district of the Kashmir valley in a landmine blast on Monday. The body was brought to his native village Basnoor in the wee hours of
today. Naik Ashok Kumar has left behind his two sons and 32-year-old wife Anjana Kumari and 65-year-old mother Biasa
Devi. The tears trickled down the cheeks of the people when Ashish, 13, his son lit the pyre. Ms Sarween
Choudary, Parliamentary Secretary, paid tributes on behalf of the government. |
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