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Himachalis
being denied jobs in power projects One hurt in bid to rob petrol station |
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HRTC restrained from charging enhanced fare Dharamsala, November 11 The District Consumers Grievances Redressal Forum Kangra here today restrained the Himachal Road Transport Corporation from charging enhanced bus fare from those schoolchildren who had deposited advance bus fare.
Tributes paid to Shaheed Ram Singh Tributes were paid to Shaheed Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, who is claimed to be the first freedom fighter, on his 154th martyrdom day today at Malnoo village, about 40 kilometres from here.
Women go sans food, courtesy doctors’ apathy
MC to penalise defaulting
shopkeepers Lavi Fair
inaugurated
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Himachalis being denied jobs in power projects Shimla, November 11 Although necessary clauses have been incorporated in all memoranda of understanding and agreements to ensure maximum employment to local people, these are not being implemented in letter and spirit. For instance, in the private sector, when work on the Baspa project was in full swing in May, 2002, out of the total staff strength of 3,321, only 924 were from Himachal Pradesh. In the Kol Dam project being executed by the National Thermal Power Corpora-tion (NTPC), out of the total staff of 93 as on March 31,2003, only 11 were from the state. The workforce of 815 engaged by contractors included 432 Himachalis. Similarly, in the Parbati project, out of the 988 persons employed by the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC), only 393 were from the state. The situation had been better in the Chamera II project, being executed by the NHPC, with Himachalis accounting for 435 out of the 653 employees. An inspection carried out by the Labour Department in Kol Dam on March 21, 2003, revealed that out of the total regular strength of 99 employees, only 22 were Himachalis. Further, the NTPC engaged 15 housekeeping and office workers, besides 18 computer operators, on contract basis in violation of the labour laws as such duties were ordinarily discharged through regular workmen. Not only that, 33 persons were appointed for regular office work in contravention of the Employment Exchange (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act. Besides, it was found that out of the 99 executives, only 11 engineers were from Himachal Pradesh as against the agreed upon strength of 30. In the Chamera II project, the NHPC had appointed 32 persons in contravention of the Act and out of these, only four were from Himachal Pradesh. Further, out of the 98 executives, only three were from the state electricity board, 26 short of the strength agreed upon. The Cabinet subcommittee which reviewed the agreements for power projects had taken a serious notice of it and recommended that the employment clause be modified to ensure definite employment to Himachalis by the executing agencies as well as sub-contractors. Besides, petty contracts for the construction of roads and retaining walls, the carriage of material like sand and cement and the plying of taxis for staff be awarded to the local residents. |
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Anupam at his versatile best Shimla, November 11 His impeccable acting apart, the shocks and surprises, the lows and highs of the famous actor’s life provided a strong script for the play “Anupam Kher Ke Saath Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai” staged here last evening. His deep emotional bond with the queen of hills, where he spent his formative years, and the home audience brought the best out of the actor. So strong was his narration that those present in the packed house virtually experienced the pain and pleasures of his life. The teeming crowd at the Himachal Pradesh University auditorium could not have asked for more. The versatile actor switched over from a comic situation to a tragic one and vice versa with effortless ease. Anupam Kher has been honest to the core in telling his real life story and this was one aspect that impressed the audience the most. Betrayal by a girl friend, the faux paus as an announcer in the All India Radio, Shimla, which cost him his job, the unexpected denial of the role of Nehru in Sir Richard Attenbrough’s Gandhi and several other tragic incidents gave a fair idea of the vicissitudes of his life. Lifetime characters like his close school days friend, Vijay Sehgal, Amitabh Bachchan, his father, and Mahesh Bhatt, who gave him the first break in his film “Saransh” figured prominently in the solo presentation. Feroze Khan, who directed the play and also wrote the script, did a splendid job. The stage effects increased the impact of the towering presence of the actor. The play was originally to be staged at the gaiety theatre but keeping in view the enthusiasm among the people, the venue was shifted to the more spacious university auditorium. Meanwhile, Anupam Kher, during his meeting with Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, urged him to set up a film city in the state to attract Bollywood producers. He said that Himachal Pradesh, with its unmatched scenic splendour, had ideal locales for film shooting. This potential could be tapped by establishing a modern film city with all required paraphernalia. He also underlined the need for setting up an academy of performing arts in the state and introducing theatre as a subject at the college and university level. |
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One hurt in bid to rob petrol station Shimla, November 11 The three robbers came to the petrol station in a new car around 4 am. While two of them entered the cabin, the third, who was driving the vehicle, remained in the car that was parked at some distance. One of them was wielding a knife and the other had a pistol. They asked the two employees on duty at the pump to hand over the cash. One of the employees, Promod, told him he had no money to give, as the keys of the cash chest were not with him. This led to an altercation in which one of the accused fired a shot. Promod was, however, lucky as the shot missed him and just brushed past his chest. He was taken to the Indira Gandhi Medical College hospital and discharged after treatment. Later, the robbers fled in the car. The police has got the computer sketches of the two youths made on the basis of the description given by the employees. All exit points have been sealed and a search operation has been launched to nab the culprits. Mr S.R. Mardi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, and Ms Puneeta Bhardwaj visited the spot. |
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HRTC restrained from charging enhanced fare Dharamsala, November 11 The order of stay was issued by the presiding member, Mr Sanjeev Dutt Sharma, and member, Ms Sonia Banta, of the forum while hearing petitions from parents of children of various schools. The petitioners, in separate appeals, had contended that they had deposited advance bus fare with the HRTC about a year ago and this was an agreement between the depositor and the Corporation. The bus fare from the students could not be hiked during the time of the agreement. The two members of the forum while accepting the appeals have asked the officials of the HRTC to present their case before the forum on November 22 and not to charge enhanced fare from schoolchildren till that date. |
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Tributes paid to Shaheed Ram Singh Dharamsala, November 11 Thakur Kaul Singh said Wazir Ram Singh was one of those sons of India who had sacrificed their lives for the freedom of country but were hardly remembered. Earlier, while welcoming the chief guest the Revenue Minister, Mr Butail, said “Such solemn occasion give us an opportunity to pay homage to all martyrs whose sacrificed had given us a chance to live in free India.” The IPH Minister also inaugurated Rs 22-lakh lift irrigation scheme at Malnoo which will irrigate 27 hectares in the village. On the appeal of the Revenue Minister, Thakur Kaul Singh announced that the scheme would be named after Shaheed Wazir Ram Singh Pathania. He also inaugurated Rs 16-lakh Malahoo-Dugani lift water supply scheme which will benefit 800 persons in the three villages. The ministers sanctioned Rs 3,20,000 for rooms in the schools of the area and Rs 50,000 for the construction of Shaheed Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial Hall at Malnoo. |
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Women go sans food, courtesy doctors’ apathy Nurpur, November 11 They had been asked not to eat anything arrived as they had to undergo certain clinical tests before sterilisation. However, most of them returned as the team was to operate upon only 20 women. Mr Deepak Sharma, Block Medical Officer, Nurpur, admitted that most women had to face inconvenience as only 20 operations were to be done. |
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MC to penalise defaulting shopkeepers Chamba, November 11 Giving this information here today, Mr Kartar Jaiswal, Executive Officer of the council, said the council, in a resolution passed at a recent meeting, had also decided to impose 18 per cent interest on the amount of rent of shops and kiosks deposited after the 10th of every month. |
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Lavi Fair
inaugurated Shimla, November 11 He said the fair reflected the farsightedness of Raja Kehri Singh, who, despite limited transport available 300 years ago, made it a trade fair of international status. Paying tributes to the Raja, he said while most of the festivals had religious significance, the celebration of a trade fair like Lavi was a remarkable tradition. Mr Kokje said in the past people from Tibet and other far-flung areas used to reach the fair for trading their goods. Mr Singhi Ram, Food and Supplies Minister, said efforts were on to provide the fair a cultural look. The Governor also inaugurated the Kinnaur and Khampa markets. |
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