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Monday,
September 22, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Rally continues to attract job seekers
Import of apple
trays from China irks Residents resent govt move on land sale No move to regularise
encroachments |
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Enhanced wages for MLAs soon Nathpa project to be operational by
month-end Move to shift lab to Junga hasty, says BJP Helping the less privileged stand on their feet Probe welcomed into sale of
fake drugs 2,000 workers rendered jobless Vigil stepped up to check robberies Two held for
woman’s murder Man-eater panther killed
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Rally continues to attract job seekers Hamirpur, September 21 The Tribune correspondent came across nearly 47 vehicles ferrying youths from Chamba and Kangra side towards Hamirpur. All roads from Dharamsala side were leading to Hamirpur and buses were over crowded. Youths were seen travelling on the roof top of the buses to reach Hamirpur in time. Under rules, no one can travel on the roof top of the buses. During a visit to various parts of the town today and last night, this reporter found that the job seekers were rushing from one place to another to arrange for their night halt. All hotels, serais and even the government accommodations were full to their capacity. In many private hotels, the youths were sharing the rooms by paying exorbitant rents to its owners. There was no check on the activities of those trying to fleece the customers. Those who failed to get the accommodation were found resting in open in forests and even on road sides. They were also seen playing cards near the Circuit House. Shops of sweetmeat sellers dhabas, tea vendors were packed with customers. All these shopkeepers were having a field day today also. They made huge sales and even overcharged for the eatables, lamented one of the job seekers Ram Singh. He alleged that he was made to pay Rs 25 for a plate of food as against the official price of Rs 15. People of the town were taken aback when the rumour spread that one of the job seekers died due to dehydration. However, neither the police nor the Health department authorities confirmed the report. The police personnel were finding it difficult to control the crowd at the college ground and even outside. ‘It is difficult to manage such a huge crowd, said one of the police officers on duty’. However, an official spokesman claimed that the second day of the recruitment passed off peacefully.
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Import of apple
trays from China irks Sukh Ram Mandi, September 21 Addressing a press conference here this evening, the former Union minister said Himachal Pradesh had tremendous potential for making apple boxes. The raw material for apple boxes and cartons was being brought from Punjab and Haryana, he added. Expressing concern over state’s financial crisis and the debt trap, he said extravagance and wasteful expenditure had to be cut down. He said he was opposed to disposing of public sector undertakings. Welcoming the decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on the closure of stone crusher, he said he had written a letter to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh about a month back for regulating the stone crushers, but the government had slept over the matter. He thanked his son, Anil Sharma Rajya Sabha MP, for giving Rs 50 lakh for the construction of a modern bus stand at Mandi. |
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Residents
resent govt move on land sale Solan, September 21 The decision to ban registration was arrived at a meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of the Chairman Housing Board, Mr Mukesh Agnihotri. The district administration had already started informing those wishing to get their property deals registered with the revenue authorities. Not only had the revenue authorities adopted an evasive attitude for registering sale deeds but also the officials concerned could not be contacted yesterday when some local residents approached the revenue office at Kandhaghat for registration. The pradhan of Vakna panchayat, Mr Tara Dutt Sharma said that the arbitrary decision of the government would spell doom for the locals as they would be forced to surrender their land to the government. Not only would the villagers be coerced to sell land at lower rates as fixed by the government but it would also render residents of
Hatri, Dhar, Phala, Chila and Vakna villages landless. The villagers feared that as their small land holdings were in the probable area they would be acquired for the project. While the prevailing government rate was quite low at Rs 36,500 per bigha those selling land to outsiders here had been gaining a high rate ranging from Rs 8 to Rs10 lakh. The area, which was rarely frequented for land purchase, suddenly shot into prominence ever since an IT university started here last year. This also led the land rates to rise from a few thousands to lakhs. A meeting of the panchayat members would soon be called to represent their case to the government, he said. Mr Tara Dutt said that though only 20 per cent of the population here had sold some land to buyers from Shimla, Solan and Nalagarh, but since the economy here comprised mostly the agrarian community who had no other source of livelihood. The situation had become ticklish particularly for non-Himachalis purchasing land in name of Himachalis, as in the event of no registration they stand to lose lakhs. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Kumar, said that there were strict instructions to bring those buyers to book who executed benami land deals. But he evaded questions regarding ban on registration of land deals. |
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No move to regularise
encroachments Palampur, September 21 Addressing a press conference here, he said the previous BJP government had invited applications for the regularisation of encroachments on the government and forest land in the state, but the present government had come to the conclusion that this decision of the previous BJP government was not in the interest of the state and if it was implemented it would only benefit a select few. He said the Congress government had not yet discussed the matter in detail but as far as forest land was concerned it was beyond the purview of the state government to regularise the encroachments. He said there were over 10 lakh cases of encroachments in the state and it was not practically possible to regularise these encroachments, as many of them had been encroached upon the government land just 10 days before the announcement of policy for the regularisation of encroachments by the BJP government just before the Assembly poll in state. Mr Chander Kumar said he had already ordered an inquiry into all such cases and no one would be allowed to forcibly encroach upon the government land in the state. He said the state Cabinet had already restored powers to forest officials to deal with cases of forest land and now they had been vested with all powers to eject such encroachments. He regretted that the Forest Department was not getting due cooperation from the police and the administration. |
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Enhanced
wages for MLAs soon Shimla, September 21 The Assembly had passed three Bills in this regard on July 21, the last day of the monsoon session. However, the emoluments of legislators could not be revised for want of Governor’s assent. It is learnt that the Governor has some doubts about the provisions pertaining to former legislators. The issue was reportedly discussed when some ministers led by Mr Kaul Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, called on him here yesterday. Mrs Asha Kumari, Education Minister, Mr B.B. Butail, Revenue Minister and Mr Singhi Ram, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, were among those who met Mr
Kokje. |
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Nathpa
project to be operational by month-end Shimla, September 21 The project has had a chequered history and has remained in controversy all through. Its foundation stone was laid by Mr Bhajan Lal, the then Haryana Chief Minister, in 1981. However, it turned out to be a non-starter. Another effort to start work on the project was made in 1989 after forming a joint corporation with the Centre having a 75 per cent equity. The clash of interests between the recruits of the corporation and deputationists from the state electricity board led to repeated agitations affecting work. The state and the Centre also remained at loggerheads on several issues. Nature also played a role in delaying the project. A landslide in 1993, which formed an artificial lake at the dam site, followed by flash floods in 1995 and 2000, caused extensive damage to the project, besides delaying its commissioning. The wranglings and natural calamities almost doubled its cost from Rs 4338 crore to Rs 8150 crore.
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Move to shift lab to Junga hasty, says BJP Shimla, September 21 Addressing a press conference here today he said the shifting of the laboratory was being carried overnight even as a petition was pending with the High Court. He said the government could have waited for the decision of the court. He wanted to know whose “personal” interest was involved in shifting the laboratory to Junga. Mr Sharma also accused the government of pressuring the investigating and the prosecution agencies to weaken the cases against the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh. He said in every case investigating agency was forwarding application for reinvestigating the case before the court which was wrong. Same investigating officers were filing such applications which indicated that either they were not investigating the cases or were acting under pressure. He alleged that cases against Mr Amarjit Bawa leader of the state unit of INTUC, were also being withdrawn and claimed that action in this direction had already been initiated at the secretariat level.
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Helping
the less privileged stand on their feet Shimla, September 21 Set up in 1975 with a view to ensuring welfare of the children, the council is providing remarkable service to downtrodden, orthopaedically and visually challenged children under different schemes. It is running two exclusive institutes for the welfare of the blind and abandoned children at Dhalli and the US Club. At the school and home for the blind being run at Dhalli, 20 children are getting free board and lodging, besides formal education upto Class VIII. The deaf and dumb children school in the home is providing care to 83 children. The children are being educated upto the middle standard through lip-reading and speech therapy. These children are also imparted training in crafts such as tailoring and painting, per their aptitude. The home for physically challenged children at Dharamsala, is helping the children afflicted with polio. Besides education upto Class V at the school and upto Class XII at the nearest government school, the children are also given vocational training. At present, 43 children are staying at the home. A centre has also been set up at Sundernagar for providing vocational training to deaf and dumb and blind adults with hearing aid and speech therapy. Under the anganwadi workers training centre programme, the council is running training centres at Theog and Sunni in Shimla district, Rasmai in Mandi district and Gaggal in Kangra district. A training course has been designed to equip the anganwadi workers with requisite knowledge and skill so that they can discharge their duties and responsibilities properly. They are also trained in pre-school teaching techniques, besides providing them with training in nutrition, community participation and health. Refresher courses are also organised for anaganwadi workers to update their skills. The council is also running a home for abandoned children below the age of six years in the working women’s hostel at the US Club here. With the concerted efforts of the council, 23 abandoned children have been adopted by childless parents. The council is the only legalised agency which deals with adoption in the state. Under another scheme sanctioned by the Indian Council of Child Welfare, 120 crčches are being run, in which 2,400 children below three years in age are taken care of. This council is also running six bal and balika ashrams at Sunni, Sarahan, Kulu, Kalpa, Bharmour and Tissa. In these ashrams, orphan and destitute children are provided shelter. The council is running a nari seva sadan for destitute and deserted women at Nahan, where free board and lodging and other facilities are being provided to the inmates. They are being imparted training in embroidery, cutting and tailoring to enable them earn their livelihood.
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Probe welcomed into sale of
fake drugs Palampur, September 21 These two organisations had complained to the Chief Minister during his visit here about this. It was a matter of concern that sub-standard medicines had been selling on prescription and recommendations by doctors posted in local Civil Hospital and adjoining areas. In a joint statement Mr K.B. Rahalan and Ms Neelam Sood, spokespersons of the two organisations, said that this action of the state government would definitely help in curbing corruption and in better functioning of the health institutions. |
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2,000 workers rendered jobless Nurpur, September 21 According to an estimate, over 2000 workers engaged in these units at Damtal, Dhangupir, Milwan, Majra, Barikhad, Kandwal, Nagabari are now without jobs. The sudden closure of these units has also hit transporters, small shopkeepers and spare-part dealers. Significantly, the closure has benefited crushing units in the bordering Punjab area, which have been doing roaring business. Meanwhile, the case regarding the vacation of the High Court's interim order will be heard tomorrow. Sources say owners of the crushing units have decided to plea for vacation of the order. |
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Vigil stepped up to check robberies Solan, September 21 The police said the spurt in such incidents was a matter of concern. Two suspicious men carrying country-made pistols had been apprehended by the Ropar CIA staff and the Nalagarh police was interrogating them to ascertain their involvement in Thursday night’s incident, in which six armed men looted some motorists on the Swarghat-Nalagarh road. Some history-sheeters hailing from Barotiwala would be interrogated. Special teams of the police, formed at Nalagarh, had been instructed to concentrate on specific areas for better results. |
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Two held for
woman’s murder Dharamsala, September 21 In his confessional statement, Ajay Kumar, a saw mill owner of Dhaloon village, admitted that he had illicit relations with Veena Devi and had invited her to his saw mill on the night of September 16. They had an altercation and he strangulated her. He called his employee Surjit Kumar and they threw her body in the forest. The clothes, a towel and the torch belonging to Veena Devi were recovered. |
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Man-eater panther killed Dharamsala, September 21 According to the information, the man-eater, a female panther, was killed last night in the Kariara forests. The carcass of the panther was taken to the house of the DFO at Dehra. According to the forest officials, the panther did not have two front teeth and had been injured in its front paw. It had been caught in a trap and could get out of it after maiming its front paw. Due to these infirmities, the panther was unable to hunt small wild animals and hunger drove it to attacking children. |
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Leopard
dies on being hit by truck Mandi, September 21 There is panic in some parts of the district after 11-month Neha was carried away by an animal on September 10.
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Erring
PT teacher suspended Mandi, September 21 Meanwhile, 100 villagers held a demonstration and a rally in the premises of the school yesterday and demanded action against the erring PTI. Corporal punishment is banned in Himachal Pradesh schools. |
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Man dies of
snake bite Hamirpur, September 21
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