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HP seeks Rs 31,000 cr for non-plan expenditure VC fails to turn up for questioning Dhumal elated
over poll results Missing funds: DC orders FIR Lotteries to start again |
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Secretariat for Dharamsala
ABVP moves court on deputation issue Seven held for possessing
obscene video cassettes Decks cleared for
shifting of lab Jawan cremated
with military honours Bailable warrants
against Shanta
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HP seeks Rs 31,000 cr for non-plan expenditure Shimla, December 4 The demand made in the memorandum prepared by the Finance Department for the commission, headed by Mr C. Rangarajan, which is arriving here on December 11, indicate that the state’s revenue expenditure will increase from Rs 5800 crore for the current year, the base year for the assessment of expenditure and income, to over Rs 10,000 crore by 2009-10.The revenue receipts will register a nominal increase from Rs 1248 crore to Rs 2300 crore, leaving a cumulative deficit of over Rs 31,000 in the five- year period. The annual wage bill will swell from Rs 2200 crore to Rs 2800 crore even if the total number of employees is frozen at the existing 1.85 lakh. Similarly, the burden on account of pension will double from Rs 580 crore to Rs 1011 crore. The interest liability will grow annually at a rate of around 10 per cent as against 19 per cent in the period of the 11th Finance Commission yet the increase will be quite significant from Rs 1875 crore to over Rs 3300 crore. That too if the commission accepts other projections of expenditure and receipts otherwise the figure could go up further. As the per capita tax is already quite high for the state there was little scope for mobilising resources through taxation. The increase in income will be mainly through higher non-tax revenue, mainly due to the commissioning of hydel power projects. On the other hand the forest revenue will decrease with the apex court ordering that the funds for compensatory afforestation should go to a separate fund. The state is seeking enhanced devolution on the basis of its excellent performance in the field of education and drinking water and infrastructure development as reflected in the improved human development index for the state. All this has been achieved at a huge cost and as the central assistance falling short of the required level the state had been caught in a vicious debt trap, it points out while justifying the need for a higher devolution. Further, the consolidation and maintenance of the social infrastructure already created will require a decent financial package from the centre, failing which the state will find it difficult to sustain the quality of life and in turn the human development index at the existing level. The state is opposed to linking of devolution of central resources to fiscal reforms as was done by the 11th Commission. There is no justification for it as the devolution was made on the basis of the assessment of expenditure and income carried out by the commission itself and not on the projections made by the states. Instead, the state wants the Centre to set up some other fund to grant incentives for carrying out reforms. Reform-linked grants to the
extent of Rs 282 crore have been withheld for the past two years. The government also wants the commission to fix the minimum and maximum amount of central grant to ensure that the states does not suffer because of shortfall in collection of central taxes. It had suffered on this count in the past. The 10th Finance Commission had recommended a devolution of Rs 4700 crore but the state actually got only Rs 3700 crore during the 1995-2000 period. Similarly, over the past four years it has received over Rs 400 crore less than the amount recommended by the 11th Commission. In all the state would receive about Rs 550 crore short of the recommended devolution of Rs 7460 crore for the five -year period. Besides the official meeting the members of the commission will also meet the representatives of the political parties, employees and other sections of the society to ascertain their views in their three-day stay in the state capital. |
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VC fails to turn up for questioning Shimla, December 4 Mr P.N. Bhardwaj, a former secrecy officer who has also been booked by the department along with Dr Sharma in connection with the question paper scam, also failed to appear before the team. Dr Sharma, who was on medical leave until December 3, had been asked to join the investigation today. While the department had no information about him, a senior officer said that he might have extended his leave. The investigation into the scam is in the final stages and the department desperately needs to question Dr Sharma before finalising the case. It has been looking for Dr Sharma for the past three weeks. Meanwhile, the team questioned Dr O.P. Sarswat, director of the International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning, and Mr N.M. Duglait, Deputy Registrar, in connection with the hiring of accommodation belonging to a son of a former Governor, Dr Suraj Bhan, at Panchkula for which there was no justification. All eyes are on Raj Bhavan as the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, has to finally decide the fate of Dr Sharma, who has been given time to upto December 8 to explain his position on the finding of two inquiry reports which had indicted him. |
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Dhumal elated
over poll results Hamirpur, December 4 He said that it was the victory of the nationalist forces and a slap on faces of those who were trying to win the elections through unfair means. He said, “The Congress had won the Assembly elections in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh by giving false slogans and levelling false charges against the BJP leaders. However, elections results in three major states of India have proved that people cannot be befooled anymore by making false accusations against the opponents”. Mr Dhumal said that the BJP was ready for the next Lok Sabha elections in the state and would win all four seats with vast majority. The party was sure to repeat the 1998 performance. When asked, what issues would be highlighted in the next elections; he said that the foreign origin issue of Mrs Sonia Gandhi would play an important role in the next Lok Sabha elections as people of India would not tolerate any foreigner to become India’s premier. He claimed that the NDA government led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Centre had done a lot for the well being of the masses and would go to them on the positive performance of the Central Government.
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Missing funds: DC orders FIR Nahan, December 4 According to police sources, the Health Department was earlier reluctant to hand over the matter to the district police. The CMO, Nahan had written to the district police chief that the Health Department was investigating the mater. However, after Dr Prem Singh took a tough stand on the matter, the department had to send the status report of the inquiry to the Deputy Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner said the case would be handed over to the Sirmour police latest by tomorrow. He confirmed that as per the inquiry report cash withdrawn against several bills was missing. In a press note issued here, Dr Prem Singh alleged that for the past two weeks, he was persuading the CMO, Sirmour, to lodge an FIR regarding the matter, but in vain. He alleged that the Health Department was trying to hush up the matter. Dr Prem Singh has demanded a high-level inquiry against officials of the Health Department of Sirmour and the BMO, Sangrah. He said lakhs of rupees were missing from the chest of the Block Medical Officer, Sangrah. For the past two months, salaries had not been paid to the staff of the Sangrah Medical Block. He said after cash was found short in the chest, lakhs of rupees were deposited in a bank, which again was an irregularity. The BMO, Sangrah, is on leave and has reportedly gone abroad while despite several attempts, the CMO could not be contacted. |
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Lotteries to start again Dharamsala, December 4 Briefing mediapersons after a Cabinet meeting, held for the first time outside Shimla, the Chief Secretary, Mr Arvind
Kaul, said the Cabinet had also approved the sale of beer, wine and soft liquor (liquor with low alcoholic content) through big departmental stores and shops which fulfil the norms laid for this purpose. He said the excise policy would be suitably amended for this. To ease the financial difficulties of Himachal Road Transport Corporation, The Cabinet approved that the HRTC may raise loans upto Rs 30 crore from banks and financial institution. Reversing the amendments made by the previous government in the Land Revenue Act, the Cabinet today approved the proposals for scrapping some provisions of the Act. It has been decided to scrap the revenue courts as they were found to be serving no purpose. The powers of revision of appeals will now be vested only with the Financial Commissioner. Earlier, these revision powers were with the financial as well as divisional commissioners which created problems. The Chief Secretary clarified that all revision petitions had to be routed through the divisional commissioners. The Chief Secretary said a Bill will be brought before the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha starting on December 15 in this regard. The Cabinet also allowed the chairmen of zila parishads to have red light atop their vehicles. It was also decided to appoint two teachers of Bhoti language in the Pangi valley and 27 posts of judgment writers were created. The Chief Secretary said the judiciary had demanded these posts as shortage was affecting the judicial work. It was also decided to raise the purchase price of wool through Woolfed by 20 per cent. The Cabinet as recommended by the Union Ministry of Transport, approved creation of separate set-up within the PWD for national highways. This set-up will be headed by a chief engineer and have two circles and five divisions in the state. The Cabinet also allowed an amendment in the HP Advocates Welfare Fund Act by allowing the member advocates to deposit their contributions as life members. Earlier, only annual contributions were accepted. The Cabinet expressed its grief over the death of 33 passengers of the HRTC bus in Chamba and observed two-minute silence in their memory. |
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Secretariat for Dharamsala Dharamsala, December 4 Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of two hostels for tribal boys and girls at Government College here, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that there would be rooms for the Chief Minister and other ministers in the Secretariat. He said a part of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat headed by a senior officer would soon start functioning at Dharamsala. The Chief Minister said that the two hostels, to be completed at a cost of Rs 1 crore each would be completed within a year. Each has accommodation for 60 students. He also announced the provision of funds for the completion of the B.Ed. college girls’ hostel which would be ready by year-end. However, Mr Virbhadra Singh declined the request of Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ms Chandresh Kumari, to shift the HPSSSB office from Hamirpur to Dharamsala. |
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Village youngsters vow
to protect forest Nurpur, December 4 The village youngsters formed a “Plantation Users’ Group” and pledged to take care of saplings of fodder, fruits, and timber trees planted in July this year. Mr Krishan Bahadur, president of this group first educated the youngsters on the benefits of adopting the village under the project. A visit to the village revealed that the plants grew eight feet to 10 feet high in five months. Under the project two types of forest is being developed. In the first forest 2200 saplings of various species of trees were planted in the second forest 2400 teak- wood saplings were planted. Mr Rashpal Singh, Forest Ranger told reporters that plantation was a success due to youngsters. He informed under the project village path, five wells, four baulis and one water harvesting structure had been built. He added that villagers were being provided with free technical know-how for self-employment activities like floriculture mushroom and vegetable cultivation, dairy and poultry farming. The project has also sponsored technical training for entrepreneurs outside the state, he added. Youngsters have been showing the path of social responsibility and inspiring the youths to come forward and cooperate in socio- economic programmes of the government. |
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ABVP moves court on deputation issue Shimla, December 4 After hearing the petition a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta and Justice Kuldeep Chand Sood directed the state government and university to file short reply by December 9, when the case would be listed for further hearing. The ABVP campus chief made the prayer on the appointment of Registrar. |
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Seven held for possessing
obscene video cassettes Kulu, December 4 The police chief said a police party had left for Chandigarh to nab the main accused who had been making the master-print. Another party has left for Mandi to identify the hotel used for making the cassettes and the girls involved from Sundernagar in Mandi district. To a question on the number of girls and boys involved in obscene acts, the SP said that it appeared that there was only one couple in all VCDs and the pictures also showed that the photographer himself was also involved. One person (seventh), who is brother-in-law of the main accused, was also arrested here today and the four obscene VCDs seized. The SP added that Tek Chand was arrested today. He threw the cassettes into the Beas but the police retrieved all cassettes from the river. Six cases under Section 292 of the IPC and Section 7 and 14 the Cinematography Act have been registered at Manali and here. The SP added in a special drive against obscene video films in the district 47 obscene Hindi and English VCDs were seized from a parlour here. CD players, VCRs and CD writer were also arrested today. |
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Decks cleared for
shifting of lab Shimla, December 4 While disposing of the petition, the Division Bench observed that the shifting of the laboratory was the prerogative of the government and the court did not want to interfere in it. Further, the two-member committee, consisting of Mr B.C. Negi, a former Chief Secretary, and Mr B.S. Thakur, a former Director-General of Police, set up by the court, had reported that there was enough space and requisite infrastructure facilities for housing the laboratory at Junga. The court also directed that all required equipment should be provided at the laboratory in consultation with the Director of Central Forensic Laboratory. |
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Jawan cremated
with military honours Nurpur, December 4 Raj Kumar is survived by his wife and a six-year-old son. A large number of people, including prominent citizens and leaders of political parties and social organisations, were present at the cremation. —
PTI |
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Bailable warrants
against Shanta Dharamshala, December 4 Mr Mahajan was present in the court here today while Mr Shanta Kumar was not. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for March 11, next year. Mr Shanta Kumar was represented by a former Himachal Advocate-General, Mr Abhimanyu Chopra, while Mr Sat Mahajan was represented by Mr Rajan Dewan and Mr S.P. Gupta. |
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Promoted Shimla, December 4 Mr T.C. Janartha, Secretary, Rural Development, has been posted as Managing-Director of the Civil Supplies Corporation against Mr R.D. Dhiman, who takes over as Managing Director of the State Small Industries and Export Corporation. |
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