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Saturday,
July 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Jail official suspended Protest against cane charge on BJP workers ‘Shivir’ recommends steps to
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Govt machinery not misused during camp, says CM Avalanches affect 23 families Bus conductor manhandled, looted
Vets probe Kharapathar cattle deaths
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Jail official suspended Hamirpur, July 11 The BJP leaders had visited the jail along with the workers after taking part in a dharna against the state government on Tuesday. The jail staff had also offered tea and snacks to the BJP leaders inside the office of the Assistant Superintendent. Highly placed sources told The Tribune here today that the state government had also instituted an enquiry into the circumstances which led the BJP leaders to enter the jail complex and meet the inmates insides their cells. The Chief Minister, Mr Vir Bhadra Singh, had taken a serious view of the BJP leaders entering the jail premises without the permission of the SDM, Hamirpur, who was also the Jail Superintendent. The source said the state government took this action following a detailed report submitted by Mr Prakash Chand, Chief Welfare Officer, Himachal Prisons. Mr Prakash Chand had come to the Jail to enquire into the circumstances leading to the escape of Penu Ram, an undertrial from the jail, when entire drama took place. There are reports that the state government had also decided to initiate legal proceedings against two senior BJP leaders, Mr Dhumal and Mr Dhiman and hundreds of others who had entered the jail premises bypassing the rules and
the law. Under the jail manual, no person can enter the jail complex without the prior permission of the Jail Superintendent and this is applicable to all. However, all are free to meet the Jail Superintendent/ Assistant Jail Superintendent inside his office. The suspended Assistant Superintendent of Jail was not available for comments as he was away to Mandi in connection with an inquiry. Surprisingly, he had joined at Hamirpur only on July 2. While all this is taking place at the top level, the lower level staffs of the Hamirpur police and the Criminal Investigations Department is busy collecting the evidences with regard to jail crash by the leaders. The staffs of both these departments are also collecting photographs of the incidents from the press photographers and others present on the occasion who had covered the events for their respective papers. Latest report says that the Chief Minister, Mr Vir Bhadra Singh, has sought a detailed report from the Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner, who was in Shimla today. The BJP leaders, however, refused to comment on the issue. Mr Dhumal and Mr Dhiman were not available for comment as they were away in Chandigarh to take part in a party programme for the legislators of five northern states. However, other BJP leaders and workers who had also entered the jail premises refused to comment. TNS ADDS FROM SHIMLA: Mr Virbhadra Singh, told newsmen that the government had taken a serious view of the lapse on the part of the jail authorities. He said after conducting an inquiry disciplinary action would be taken against officials responsible for dereliction of duty. The Chief Minister said Mr Dhumal was supposed to go to the Deputy Commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum after staging a protest. However, he walked towards the jail and even managed to enter the premises unauthorisedly. He said Mr Dhumal did this on the advice of some tantrik to ward off the evil influence of stars. Whatever be the reason, it was a serious matter and those responsible for the lapse could not be allowed to go scot free, he added. |
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Protest against cane charge on BJP workers Bilaspur, July 11 Memorandum also criticised the government for its failure to meet the challenges faced by the draught in Bilaspur district continuously for two months. They also condemned the unjustified and politically motivated transfers of hundreds of employees of the district on the pretext of being the supporters of the BJP and warned that such a vindictive policy would only boomerang on the Congress government. The BJP also criticised the downgrading of schools at Nalati, Bhadoli, Rishikesh, Chhadole, Kot, Kuhmujhaad, Harnoda and Chamlog which were earlier
upgraded by its government. They demanded that the status of these schools must be restored in the interest of the public. Mr Nadda while addressing a rally in Champa Park at the Main Market strongly criticised the Congress government for imposing house tax on the Bhakra Dam oustees and declared that BJP would strongly oppose the tax. |
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‘Shivir’ recommends steps to strengthen Cong Shimla, July 11 The committee on organisational reforms and electoral preparedness, which worked out the strategy for the 2004 Lok Sabha poll, has suggested that candidates for the seats where the party had been losing elections repeatedly should be decided well in advance. It emphasised that the candidates for such constituencies should be declared at least three months before the poll. Special efforts should be made in the 132 constituencies in which the party lost by a margin of less than 6 per cent in the last Lok Sabha poll. The committee has also favoured rigid guidelines for the appointment of party office-bearers at all levels to bring forward the best possible leadership. The antecedents of the aspirants for party posts should be thoroughly checked along with the conduct and record of service to the party. The age limit for the office-bearers of front organisations like the NSUI and the youth congress should be adhered to strictly and the earlier practice of appointing officer-bearers should be followed. The national Youth Congress president should be selected from among those who have remained general secretaries of the organisations. If no suitable candidate was available, the choice should be made from among the state Youth Congress presidents. Similarly, the state Youth Congress chiefs should be selected from among those who have served as general secretaries. Only those who have remained office-bearers of the NSUI should be made office-bearers of the Youth Congress. The composition of the Pradesh Congress Committees and other important party panels was also looked into. The PCC in Uttar Pradesh, for instance has more than 200 members. The committee has recommended the pruning of such panels and underlined the need for inducting well-educated young persons and intellectuals into the party. The size of the committees and the number of officer-bearers will be fixed and no deviation will be made. Steps have also been recommended to build a committed cadre with strong ideological moorings. The party will set up a national training academy for the purpose. The office-bearers of the party and its front organisations will have to undergo orientation courses at the academy every year. Decentralisation of functions has also been recommended under which matters pertaining to constituencies will be settled at the level of district unit and those concerning the district at that of Pradesh Congress Committee. This will enable the party units at various levels to function more effectively and maintain discipline. |
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Govt machinery not misused during camp, says CM Shimla, July 11 Regarding Mr Dhumal’s charge that the government machinery was misused during the “Vichar Manthan
Shivir” of the Congress, he said not a single person had been declared state guest as it was purely affair. In order to avoid inconvenience to the people the
VVIP’s, which included 14 Chief Ministers, did not even use exclusive cars what to speak of escort vehicles. They travelled by bus from their respective hotels to
Peterhof, the venue of the session. Further, the entire expenditure was being borne by the party. Replying to a question he said no talks were going on at present for the merger of the Himachal Vikas Congress into the Congress. He said there was also a proposal for entering an alliance with the
HVC. Regarding the appointment of new president of the state Youth Congress, he said there were many candidates in race for the post. The party would favour a person who take along everybody and had the stature to hold the important office. The regional and caste factions would also be given due consideration while making the office. He said the government was on the look out for a suitable persons to man the post of state Human Rights Commission. He said as only those who had held the post of the Chief Justice of the High Court were qualified to hold post, the choice was limited. He said the Congress never questioned the BJP which often held its conventions at various places and never contested the sources of expenditure. The Chief Minister said it was his responsibility to see that camp was successful as it was at his instance that the party decided to hold this convention here. He had invited Ms Sonia Gandhi to hold the camp at Shimla which she accepted. He said that every MLA, ministers and Congress workers worked hard to ensure the success of the event and nothing was left to chance. He said all leaders who had come to Shimla for the conclave were properly housed and nothing was left to chance. |
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Avalanches affect 23 families Chamba, July 11 There are apprehensions of more avalanches, which may play havoc with about 12 hamlets located on the slopes in the Hillo Tohan belt. The residents living in the hamlets have been evacuated to the nearby safer places. According to a prominent resident of Pangi valley, Mr K.C. Rana, the volume of flood water in the Tarundi nullah had been increasing constantly with the avalanches. He said, so far, 36 bighas of cultivable land and 35 bighas of uncultivable land, including a few houses and cowsheds of Kalichho village in the Hillo Tohan belt, had been washed away by flood water causing an estimated loss of more than Rs 40 lakh. Meanwhile, the revenue officials have conducted a survey of this belt and assessed losses caused to public and private land and other property. The local administration of the Pangi tribal valley has so far disbursed relief ranging from Rs 1,000 to 3,000 to each family on the basis of the extent of their losses. However, in the near future, the state government will provide more relief to the affected families, the officials said. |
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Bus conductor manhandled, looted Kangra, July 11 Kangra district police chief, S. Zahoor H Zahdi said Mr Dev Raj, the conductor of HRTC bus of the Keylong depot, lodged a complaint with Kangra police station in the wee hours today that a youth, Biloo, along with others had parked his motor cycle in the middle of the road. The driver had to stop the bus which was on its way from Keylong to Dharamsala. According to the FIR, Mr Dev Raj asked the youths to allow the bus to proceed to Dharamsala. The youth reportedly manhandled him and took away Rs 5,935 collected as ticket money. He said after snatching the cash they fled on the motor cycle. Mr Zahdi said a case under Sections 341, 353, 332, 382 and 34, IPC, had been registered and raids were being conducted. He said the police had impounded the motor cycle used in the crime, but the accused were still absconding. |
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Schoolgirl battles for life Hamirpur, July 11 However, when her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to a Dharamsala hospital for treatment. The doctors there again referred her to Ludhiana, where she was undergoing treatment with a hope to lead a normal life. Parents of Ashu Sharma are a harassed lot as they have no money to treat their daughter. They have so far spent Rs 60,000 on her treatment. Students of her school as well as Dangri School have donated Rs 9,000 for her treatment. |
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Vets probe Kharapathar cattle deaths Shimla, July 11 The carcasses of 22 cows, seven bulls and a calf were fished from the nullah yesterday. It is alleged that the cattle were brought there in a truck three days ago and thrown into the nullah after being poisoned. The absence of injury marks on the carcasses gives rise to the poisoning theory. The team comprising Dr Satish, Dr D.K. Negi, Dr Mohinder Thakur and Dr Pradeep conducted the post-mortem examinations of the carcasses. Mr Yog Raj Thakur, Superintendent of Police, said a case had been registered in this regard and investigations were on. |
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3 drowned in Yamuna Paonta Sahib, July 11 |
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