 |
Monday,
July 28, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
Case against Dhumal team for Vigilance Reforms in land laws will lead to chaos: BJP Shanta stays away from party meeting CAG
indicts Parmar university Rains, low yield hit vegetable growers, |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Forces step
up vigil in Chamba area CBI arrests Congress block president Vigilance probe into Morepen row Governor opens Minjar festival 100 kids fall ill at minister’s bash Three
killed in landslides
|
|
Case against Dhumal team for Vigilance Shimla, July 27 The entire 113-page document, submitted by the Congress to the Governor in August 2000, has been handed over to the Vigilance Department for a thorough inquiry. There are charges of misuse of the official positions against eight ministers and some chairpersons of boards and corporations. When the Congress was in Opposition, they had demanded a CBI probe and had promised to get these allegations probed after coming to power. Before starting the inquiry, the department will scrutinise the chargesheet and prepare a detailed report on the allegations, which deserved a vigilance probe. A senior officer of the department admitted having received the chargesheet from the government and said it would take time for the department to figure out which charges were to be probed. He maintained that vague charges of political nature would not be probed and inquiries would be initiated only into specific allegations. Besides, there were allegations like encroachment upon government land, changing classification of land in the revenue record to bypass the Forest Conservation Act and misuse of helicopter, which did not warrant a vigilance inquiry. In such cases the inquiry will be entrusted to the Revenue Department or the department concerned. The enforcement and Vigilance Departments are already inquiring into recruitment scam in the State-Subordinate Services Selection Board, the irregularities in recruitment and purchases in Himachal Pradesh University and the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank. The party had also raised these issues during the Assembly poll. The charges regarding scams in the Health Department and the Public Works Department, which figure prominently in the chargesheet, will now engage the attention of the investigating agencies. Specific allegations pertaining to the Health Department include irregularities in the selection of lab technicians, the alleged suicide by a Dalit, who wasn’t selected, in front of the house of the Health Minister and certain purchases by the Tanda Medical College. The maximum number of charges concern the Public Works Department. The chargesheet mentions several cases of irregularities in purchases, favouritism in grant of contracts, bitumen emulsion scam and the starting of works on roads without approval. Some ministers have been charged with amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Other allegations include grant of mining lease to favourites and waiving of huge loans of important politicians, including ministers, by the state Financial Corporation. |
|
Reforms in land laws will lead to chaos: BJP Shimla, July 27 Mr Baldev Sharma, spokesperson for the party, said here today that the move to reform land laws to enable the conversion from the present system of “presumptive titles” to “conclusive titles” guaranteed by the state was fraught with dangerous consequences. The presumptive titles could be challenged in court and corrected, but once the titles were made conclusive no such remedy would be available to the people. Influential people, in connivance with revenue officials, could get the revenue entries changed in their favour and the aggrieved party would not be able to do anything as a conclusive title could not be challenged in court or changed. Mr Sharma ridiculed the demand of the Pradesh Congress Committee for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and Dr Murali Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, and said state Congress leaders, who were themselves facing serious charges, had no right to make such a demand. The BJP spokesperson accused the Congress of adopting double standards in dealing with employees. On the one hand, employee leaders were being suspended for giving political statements and on the other the government had deputed officials for making arrangements for the “vichar manthan shivir,” which was purely a party affair. It only indicated that the much-publicised drive to enforce discipline among the employees was a sham. |
|
Shanta stays away from party meeting Shimla, July 27 The issue of organisational election was discussed at the meeting of the party held at Parwanoo today, which was attended by all senior leaders of the party except the former Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar. The high command which believes that the party lost power in the state because of the internecine war between the rival factions headed by Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar views the organisational poll as an opportunity to end factional fight which has divided the party right down to the grassroots. Mr O.P. Kohli, national secretary of the party who is also in charge of the party affairs in Himachal, asked the party leaders to evolve a consensus at all levels right from the constituency unit to the election of the state party chief. The choice should be made in consultation with the prominent party leaders. The membership of the units was checked and certified and all the constituency units and district units were found eligible for participating in the elections as per the criteria laid down by the party. The district returning officers were asked to appoint assistant returning officers for carrying out elections in the constituency units before August 7. The organisational poll at the booth level will be completed by August 31 and the process for constituency units will be over by September 15. The elections of district units will be completed by September 25 and the party will have a new state president by September 30. The meeting passed a resolution expressing concern over the reports that terrorists had abducted some shepherds from the areas adjoining Pangi valley and criticised the Congress government for the deteriorating law and order situation. |
|
CAG indicts Parmar university Solan, July 27 The report further said that the university had been disbursing secretarial allowance to its ‘beldars’, medical attendants and workshop assistant from February 1997 to February 2002 incurring an expenditure of Rs 13.94 lakh. This allowance was permissible only to state employees serving at HP Secretariat, Shimla, or its equivalent offices. Interestingly, while employees serving at Shimla Secretariat had been bereft of this allowance, the university disbursed this allowance to all its employees from September 1997 to March 2002 putting an additional strain of Rs 7.17 lakh. The CAG report pointed out that payment of this excessive amount incurred a loss of Rs 21.11 lakh on the university. More irregularities had also been pointed out in the matter pertaining to house rent. About 708 to 772 employees were paid a higher allowance on par with district employees while they had been categorised as employees of other areas serving outside the district. Consequently an excess payment of Rs 17.66 lakh was made by the university for the period from September 1999 to March 2002 without seeking the mandatory permission of either the managing committee or the Finance Department. A loss of Rs 70 lakh was further incurred on a fleet of buses used to ply employees from Solan to the campus despite good private bus service in the route. An amount of Rs 25.95 lakh was also spent on paying salaries to 12 to 18 bus drivers. The university authorities had been caught on a sticky wicket this time as they had paid no heed to some of these objections raised by the Local Audit Department (LAD). |
|
Rains, low yield hit vegetable growers, small traders Kumarhatti, July 27 Over the years makeshift vegetable markets have developed along the highway in around this town but this time it wore a deserted look with vendors having nothing to offer to tourists and motorists. Roadside vendors earn between Rs 20,000 to 30,000 in a season but this time they could not gain much due to high price they had to pay for buying scarce vegetables from local growers. Those who offer roasted corn cobs along the highway have also suffered due to the delay in maize crop. They have to purchase corn cobs from the plains at high price compared to local prices. The worst affected are migrant labour from Nepal selling vegetables along the highway in the season as it was their main source of income, here. |
|
Forces step
up vigil in Chamba area Shimla, July 27 The region has been agog with rumours that there had been an exchange of fire between militants and security forces of Jammu and Kashmir escorting shepherds in the Padar area. Some villagers have even claimed that the militants took away a group of shepherds belonging to the neighbouring state. The police has found the reports baseless. However, the DIG of the Kangra range, Mr O.C. Thakur, has been asked to tour the area to have a first hand information and ascertain if there is any change in the threat perception from across the border. The movement of the nomadic Gujjars beyond the police checkpoints set up along the border belt has been banned as a precautionary measure for the past three years. In all 35 police check points have been set up to guard the 210 km long border. While nine of the points are being manned by the ITBP, the state police has been deployed at the remaining points. |
|
CBI arrests Congress block president Palampur, July 27 Police sources said here today a CBI team from West Bengal arrived here on Friday and sought police help to arrest Mr Patial. He was arrested from his village near Sulaha. Later the CBI produced him in the court of the local Additional CJM and requested for his transit remand, which was granted by the court. It is learnt that the FIR in this case was registered in 1987. Later the investigation was handed over to the CBI. He would be produced in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Kolkata after a
three day transit remand. |
|
Vigilance probe into Morepen row Solan, July 27 In a separate inquiry, the Health Minister Chandresh Kumari has ordered the Director (Health) to probe the case. It is slated to be completed within a week. The permission to manufacture the drug, which is claimed to be a new drug, was procured from the State Controller and Licensing Authority by the firm about two years ago. As per the rules, it was supposed to be procured from the Drug Controller General of India. The Drug Controller, said the drug had been in the market since 1992. |
|
|
Governor opens Minjar festival Chamba, July 27 Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Himachal Pradesh was a treasure house of varied and rich cultural heritage. He said though fairs and festivals had cultural significance, the Minjar fair of Chamba was one of the exemplary fairs. The Governor underlined the need for popularising the unique traditions of fairs and festivals as well as religious centres of the state. The electronic media could play a vital role in this regard. The Governor also declared the Minjar sports tournament open amidst singing of ‘Kunjari Malhaar’, (seasonal folk songs of this alpine region) and burst of crackers. Later, he inaugurated an exhibition installed by various government departments displaying their developmental activities. Mr Harsh Mahajan, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Mr Surinder Bhardwaj and Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, both MLAs, were also present on the occasion. Earlier, Mr Rahul Anand, chairman of the International Minjar Fair Celebration Committee, accompanied by other officials, dignitaries and citizens of Chamba, offered minjars (golden hue of maize blossoms) at the local Lakshmi Narayana and Raghuvira temples. The fair is held in the month of Sawan, which heralded the beginning of Kunjari-Malhaar folk songs during the fair praying to the rain God for good harvest of kharif crop. The fair would conclude on August 3 with the immersion of minjars in the Ravi. More than one lakh visitors, including tourists from abroad, were expected to attend the week-long fair. The renowned playback singers of the cine world like Amit Kumar, Daler Mehndi, Pinaaz Masani, Richa Sharma and K. K. would perform during cultural nights at the fair. Besides, importance had also been given to the folk artistes from different parts of Himachal Pradesh, who would also perform at the fair concerts. |
|
|
100 kids fall ill at minister’s bash Dharamsala, July 27 The children had been invited to enjoy food and elephant rides at a fair on the occasion. After partaking of eatables, the children started vomiting and felt nauseated. They were rushed to the Primary Health Centre, Nagrota Bagwan, where a team of doctors was rushed to look after them. The children were said to be out of danger.
— OC |
|
Three killed in landslides Shimla, July 27 |
|
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
