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Friday,
August 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Virbhadra rules out investment Virbhadra
men head marketing panel Kinnaur remains
cut off Show-cause notice
issued to 4 scientists 4 held, 810 gm of brown sugar seized |
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Girls’ harassment case: teacher indicted Truck falls into Sutlej, 4 feared dead Public service panel member sworn in
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Virbhadra
rules out investment in PSUs Shimla, August 7 Reviewing the working of government departments and the progress with regard to the implementation of the election manifesto at a meeting of secretaries and heads of departments here yesterday, he said the public sector undertakings which were on the verge of collapse or had outlived their utility should be restructured. He said things would not improve just by putting in more money on such units. The Chief Minister stressed the need to ensure accountability and responsiveness of each department and monitor the implementation of various schemes launched by the government for the public welfare. Emphasising the need for timely and proper utilisation of funds under various schemes, he said since the committed liabilities had been transferred from the plan to non-plan, there would be no shortage of resources for the schemes taken in hand. Expressing concern over unspent funds under various centrally sponsored schemes, he warned that in future it would be viewed seriously and the officers concerned would be held accountable. Mr Virbhadra Singh asked the secretaries to prepare a plan of action in respect of implementation and formulation of schemes of their departments within a month and said he would review the performance of each department personally. Calling for a timebound completion of mini and micro-hydro projects in the state, especially keeping in view the limited working season in tribal areas, he lamented that dozens of such projects were hanging fire for one reason or the other for the past so many years. He said timely environmental and other clearances in respect of hydel projects should be ensured and the departments concerned should put in coordinated efforts in this respect. |
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Virbhadra
men head marketing panel Solan, August 7 Mr Laiq Ram is a former president of the Solan Block Congress Committee while Mr Kanshi Ram, hailing from Piplughat in the Arki constituency, besides being a veteran Congressman, represents the powerful farmers’ lobby. The Additional District Magistrate, Mr Sharabh Negi, supervised the elections. The Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker and sitting MLA from the Arki constituency of this district, Mr Dharma Pal Thakur, was present on the occasion. With today’s Marketing Committee elections and the earlier appointments of Mr Ajay Chauhan, Mr F. Harrison and Ms Madhu Batta as councillors in the local civic body, the Virbhadra group in the DCC has gained complete hold over the two institutions. Later, while addressing a press conference, Mr Thakur said the newly constituted committee would give priority to instituting a probe into the cases of alleged irregularities committed during the tenure of the previous BJP-led government. Those found guilty of having committed irregularities would be brought to book. He said marketing fees on items like edible oils and
vanaspati, which had been exempted from the purview of the State Marketing Act by the Dhumal government, would be re-introduced. This move of the previous government had caused severe heartburn amongst the state’s farmers as they felt that the abolition of marketing fees on these two commodities was intended to please the industrialists’ lobby “at the cost of the farmers who alone were left to foot the bill”. |
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Kinnaur
remains cut off Shimla, August 7 The entire region beyond Jhakri has been going without mail, newspapers and other daily necessities. Since it may take four or five days to make temporary arrangements to bridge the Baruni Khad the RCC bridge on which had been washed away, there could be a shortage of essential commodities. According to reports reaching here, Bhabhanagar is facing a shortage of cooking gas refills. Similarly, in Rekong Peo, the district headquarters, only 250 LPG refills were in stock, which would last only for a few days. Besides, about 125 vehicles have been stranded in the Jhakri, Jeori, Sarhan and Gaura areas. The Pandra-Bees area was not accessible at all as even foot bridges have been washed away. The farmers are already feeling the pinch. Some pea growers from Nako have been stranded at Jeori along with their produce for the past four days and the produce was rotting. PTI adds: Extensive damage was caused in Gagal and Bhadyal villages in the Balh valley of Mandi district due to flash floods caused by a sudden rise in the level of Suket khud and its tributaries following an incessant heavy rain yesterday. According to reports reaching here, three bridges, a dozen cowsheds, two watermills and hundreds of acres of cultivated land were washed away while over 50 houses were badly damaged. There was no loss of human life but a cow and a sheep were washed away. All link roads in the area were badly damaged cutting off several villages from the district headquarters, reports here said. |
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Show-cause notice
issued to 4 scientists Solan, August 7 Officiating Director Health, Dhruv Vashisht, confirming the letter sent to the four scientists said that further action would be taken after receipt of their reply. They have been specifically asked to reply to certain points raised by the directorate. Meanwhile it was learnt that while the three senior scientists Arvind Sharma, Shallu Sharma and Ripudaman have received the notices delivered to them personally, Munish who was on leave has not received the notice. Mr Munish has obtained anticipatory bail after a case of fraud was registered against him. |
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4 held, 810 gm of brown sugar seized Dharamsala, August 7 The SP said on a clue that drugs were being sold in Jwalamukhi, the police raided the place but drew a blank. Continuing the search, the police came across a sadhu who gave vital clues and the police raided a partially built house at Kuna in Challah village under the Jwalamukhi police. The house belongs to Madan Lal. During search 810 gm of brown sugar and 430 gm of synthetic drugs were recovered. Mr Zaidi said that the drugs were brought here for sale to pilgrims visiting temples in the area during Shrawan Ashtami fairs. |
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Girls’ harassment case: teacher indicted Solan, August 7 The team comprising the Principal of Boys Senior Secondary School, Mr
B.N. Bali, and the Principal of the girls’ school Ms Upasana Sahni, which submitted its report to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Bharat
Khera, found allegations levelled by the students genuine. The three-page report took serious note of the charges of harassment, including pressuring girls to take tuitions and making them do personnel work, and states that if the erring teacher was allowed to continue teaching here, it could lead to problems in the future. Hence it was imperative that she was transferred. The state women’s commission has also taken a note of the complaint by the students. |
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Truck falls into Sutlej, 4 feared dead
Shimla, August 7 The persons, including the driver of the vehicle, were washed away by the strong river current, they said. They have been identified as Kalicharan Singh, Chandan Singh (driver), Gautam Kumar and Sohan Lal. Rescue teams had reached the spot and search operations were on trace the bodies, they said. — PTI
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Public service
panel member sworn in Shimla, August 7
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