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Wednesday,
March 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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HP ASSEMBLY
Road connectivity top priority: Virbhadra |
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NGOs cold to more functions
for panchayats DC orders display of price lists in shops IMFL brands to be dearer in HP Varsity employees protest Blight
hits potato crop
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HP ASSEMBLY Shimla, March 11 Delivering his customary Address to the newly elected Vidhan Sabha, he said corruption would not be tolerated and all cases of graft would be inquired into independently. However, the government would not indulge in political vendetta. All information regarding the developmental activities being undertaken by the government would be put on the state website with the objective of ensuring transparency in functioning. The government would support the citizens’ right to information. Referring to the financial situation, Dr Bhan said state was under a huge debt of Rs 15,000 crore and his government would take effective steps to remedy it. Besides ensuring strict fiscal discipline and generating new sources of income, the government would employ positive measures to complete the development projects, particularly the hydel power projects, in a time-bound manner. An international apple festival would be organised for the benefit of fruit growers, besides taking other steps to promote horticulture and floriculture. The main thrust would be on tackling the problem of unemployment by encouraging production based employment opportunities, executing eco-friendly small hydel projects and use of labour intensive methods. Fresh steps would be taken to bring about a qualitative improvement in education by revamping the syllabus and upgrading the level of research. All efforts would be made to attain the target of 100 per cent literacy. Social justice would be ensured to backward classes and other deprived sections of society. All vacant posts in the backward areas would be filled and houses constructed for eligible persons under a special scheme for the houseless in rural areas. Review of revenue laws, diversification of agriculture and timely supply of inputs would the basis of the government’s agriculture policy. Besides, modern marketing complexes and more houses would be developed in a phased manner and equipped with modern communication facilities, including the internet. Special steps would be taken for the welfare of women, weaker sections and the underprivileged. The Panchayati Raj institutions, urban local bodies and other autonomous institutions would be strengthened and made efficient by decentralisation of power. The farmers would be given remunerative prices for milk and veterinary centres established at the panchayat level. A technology park would be set up with the assistance of the information technology sector and to promote trade and industry efforts would be made to establish a big exhibition-cum-convention centre. The centre would be urged to take up construction of the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Mandi and Rampur rail line. All villages would be connected to the main highways over the next five years. |
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Musafir elected Speaker Shimla, March 11 As many as four motions proposing his name for the post were moved in the House. He was declared elected after the motion of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, was adopted by the House. Mr Kaul Singh, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, seconded the motion which was adopted by voice vote. Mrs Vidya Stokes, Mr Mohinder Singh, Independent, and Prof P.K. Dhumal, Leader of the BJP Legislature Party, moved the other three motions which were seconded by Mr Chander Kumar, Mr Subhash Chand and Mr Ravinder Ravi. Mr Musafir expressed his gratitude to members of the House for electing him. Mr Virbhadra Singh said by unanimously electing the Speaker, the House had set a healthy tradition. Prof Dhumal said it was for the first time in the history of the Assembly that a leader from the Scheduled Castes had made it to the prestigious post. Mr Musafir has been representing the Pachhad constituency of Sirmour district since 1982. He is the 11th Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. He made his electoral debut as an Independent and later joined the Congress. |
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Road connectivity top priority: Virbhadra Shimla, March 11 This was stated by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while addressing officers and employees of the Public Works and Irrigation and Public Health Departments here yesterday. He said the Trans-Giri area in Sirmaur district, Dodra-Kwar and Pandhrah Bees in Shimla district, Chohar in Mandi district and Chhota and Bara Bhangal in Kangra district would be given special attention on the matter. He said to raise production and improve economy, stress would be laid on bringing maximum area under irrigation, besides providing potable drinking water to left-out habitations. The need of the hour was to raise resourses to bail out the state from the burden of Rs 15,000 crore accumulated during the previous government's tenure. Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, said the government had adopted the election manifesto of the party as a policy document. |
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NGOs cold to more functions
for panchayats Shimla, March 11 Mr Subhash Mendhapurkar, Director of the SUTRA, (a non-government organisation), said here yesterday that the state governments had been virtually thrusting new responsibilities on panchayat without providing them requisite resources and manpower. He cited the example of the Himachal government’s decision to hand over the management of water supply to panchayats which had neither the resources nor the technical hands to carry out the job. He said Panchayati Raj institutions were self governing bodies and no function should be entrusted to these unless a resolution had been passed by the body concerned. He said new responsibilities were being assigned but the panchayat functionaries were not being given facilities to discharge these. For instance, the NGO’s had been suggesting that women panchayats pradhans should be given free travel facility so that they could move around conveniently for their official duties, but it had not been accepted. He said the two child norm was against women as they had little control over reproductive function decisions. Ms Sumedha Sharma, programme officer of the hunger project, underlined the role of media in creating awareness on the role of panchayats in development among the people and social issues like female foeticide and intake of harmful habit-forming things like Gutka and pan masala. She said her organisation had instituted the Sarojni Naidu prize to
encourage journalists to highlight the role of women in panchayati
raj. She said three prizes, one each for the best article in Hindi, English and other Indian languages was instituted. Entries for the prizes should be submitted before July 15. A jury of senior journalists and academicians would evaluate the entries and the prizes would be given on October 2. |
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DC orders display of price lists in shops Chamba, March 11 Presiding over a meeting of the district-level joint consultative committee (JCC) of the Chamba district Non-gazetted employees Federation here yesterday, Mr Anand also issued directions to the Chief Medical Officer to provide uniforms to class-IV employees, working in the Health Department. The Deputy Commissioner sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a building of the federation at the district headquarters. He assured employees that efforts would be made to provide the Revenue and Rural Development Department residential colony with sewerage. Other decisions taken at meeting included ensuring cleanliness and provision of traffic lights within the municipal limits, installation of a dental X-ray machine in the zonal hospital and renovation of the ITI link road. Besides this, other issues, including the repair of the government residential colony, opening of a shop of the HP Civil Supplies Corporation, restoration of water supply to the zonal hospital, payment of wages to employees working in the irrigation and Public Health Department and construction of toilets in the district office of the Information and Public Relations Department, were also taken up. |
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IMFL brands to be dearer in HP Shimla, March 11 The policy approved at the meeting of the state Cabinet held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, aims at rationalising the duty and fee structure and streamlining the levy on various brands with ex-distillery price of Rs 500 per case. The duty structure for brands up to Rs 300 and Rs 400 ex-distillery price was pegged at Rs 23 per proof litre. As many as 90 new liquor vends will be opened on the request of panchayats. It was decided that the additional licence fee would be directly disbursed to the panchayats by the Excise and Taxation Department. The export fee on the country liquor outside the state will be nil as against 20 paise per bottle within. To encourage export of beer and protect the local industries the export fee on beer has been reduced to 15 paise per bulk litre. The Cabinet approved a levy of 15 paise per bulk litre on the import of rectified spirit, which is likely to fetch Rs 27 crore. The import fee on beer has been increased from Rs 1.25 to Rs 2 per bottle. The permit fee on the country liquor had been reduced by 25 paise with a view to making it available at affordable prices. The Cabinet approved the lowering of the interest rates on delayed payment of licence fee to 12 per cent for the first 30 days and 18 per cent per annum thereafter. The country liquor quota for the year was pegged at 1.15 crore proof litre. The maximum price of beer has been fixed at Rs 45 and Rs 55 for mild and strong beer, respectively. It also approved the proposal for regulating the use of liquor at various social functions and possession at the residence on fixed fee of Rs 2,500 for a lifetime permit. The Cabinet decided to refer the state Value Added Tax Bill 2003 to the select committee before sending it to the Government of India for approval. It also decided to continue with the present system of privatisation of barriers with no escalation in the rate. These barriers will operate only at the entry points of the state. A reserve price of Rs 14.10 crore was approved the auction of the barriers. |
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Varsity employees protest Dharamsala, March 11 Mr S.P. Sharma, president of the HPAU Teachers Association, and Mr Sat Pal Katoch, president of the Non-teaching Employees Union, said the state government had not released funds for the payment of the salaries. They said the government had released only Rs 20 crore against the demand for Rs 31 crore for this year, which had led to this situation. They sought an immediate release of the funds, so that, the employees could get salaries for February. Meanwhile, the university Vice-Chancellor, Dr Tej Partap, who is camping at Shimla, met the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and the Revenue Minister, Mr Brij Behari Lal Butail, who is from Palampur, and sought funds for paying the salaries. According to sources, the funds are expected to be released in a day or so. |
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Blight hits potato crop Una, March 11 According to Dr Subhash Nayital, scientist in charge of the Una Krishi Vigyan Kendra, there are reports coming in from different parts of the district regarding the appearance of dark brown ring patches on the leaf foliage and that a detailed analysis confirmed the occurrence of blight. Mr Nayital said with wide fluctuation between day and night temperatures, followed by intermittent rains, the disease is likely to spread further. He advised the farmers to spray a solution of 2 gm dithane M-45 per litre of water in less affected or the same proportion of ridomil on extensively affected plantations.
UNI |
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Dalai Lama prays
for peace Dharamsala, March 11 The Dalai Lama said he could not stop the war, but only pray for averting it. |
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Petition Chanidgarh, March 11 The Court has already granted him exemption from appearing in Court by Ropar’s Chief Judicial Magistrate in connection with the complaint. |
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