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BJP spokesman issued notice in defamation case
Inquiry against Sharma not to be diluted, says CM Finance panel to assess state’s deficit |
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Proposal on town runs into rough weather Municipal council starts demolition drive Declining sex ratio worries minister Telemedicine project for IGMC 50 medical students face action Embezzlement of 19.50 lakh detected Power supply to Hamirpur restored Snow leopards gifted to
Kufri park
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BJP spokesman issued notice in defamation case
Shimla, December 11 The Chief Minister who appeared in the court to record his statement alleged that his reputation in general public had been lowered and his image tarnished by the statements issued by Mr Baldev Sharma. He said the allegations made in the new reports published on September 5, 2002, were malicious and levelled with an intention to tarnish his image. Mr Pramod Sharma who appeared as witness on behalf of the complainant said the news item had affected the reputation of Mr Virbhadra Singh. Counsel for the complainant, Mr Sarwan Dogra, submitted that on the basis of material placed before the court, it was clear that Mr Baldev Sharma had issued a malicious statement to tarnish the image of the complainant. The court issued process to the accused and directed him to appear in the court on January 9, 2004.
— PTI |
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Inquiry against Sharma not to be diluted, says CM Shimla, December 11 Talking to newsmen here, he said investigations were under way and the Vigilance Department would proceed against him as per the law. There was no question of diluting the inquiry against Dr Sharma. Replying to a question, he said instead of making statements in the media, Mr S.M. Katwal, a former Chairman of the state Subordinate Services Selection Board, who had been booked by the Enforcement Department in connection with the recruitment scam, should make public the audio cassette in which he had, as claimed by him, recorded the conversation of some Congress leaders. He said as the Congress was in opposition, its leaders were in no position to exert any kind of pressure on Mr Katwal and as such this evidence had no meaning. Regarding the reports that he had demanded the resignation of Mrs Vidya Stokes as the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Virbhadra Singh said he had only said that as per the party constitution one person could only hold one post and Mrs Stokes was also a minister in his Cabinet. The only exception to this provision was in case of the national party president. |
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Finance panel to assess state’s deficit Shimla, December 11 Besides Mr C. Rangarajan, Chairman of the commission, and Mr Som Pal, Mr T.R. Prasad and Prof. D.K. Srivastav, all members, the 11-member team also include some advisers and officials. The commission will scrutinise the state’s finances to assess the revenue deficit in its three-day sojourn, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Chief Minister, will present the government memorandum detailing the revenue requirement of the state for the five-year period at the official meeting tomorrow. It will be followed by an audio-visual presentation by the Principal Secretary Finance. The commission will also interact with the representatives of trade and industry, local bodies and political parties. They will also submit memorandums to the commission. The commission will visit Nathpa Jhakri Project tomorrow. It will also visit Ashwini Khad the site of a proposed water pumping station, near here to assess feasibility of some schemes for funding. The official memorandum has projected a revenue deficit of over Rs 31,000 crore for the five-year period. The state’s revenue expenditure will shoot up from Rs 5800 crore for the current year, the base year for assessment of expenditure and income, to over Rs 10,000 crore by 2009-10. The revenue receipt will register a nominal increase from Rs 1248 to Rs 2300 crore leaving a cumulative deficit of over Rs 31,000 crore during the five-year period. The annual wage 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 the rate of around 10 per cent as against 19 per cent during the period of the 11th Finance Commission yet the increase will be quite significant from Rs 1875 crore to over Rs 3300 crore. The government is seeking enhanced devolution on the basis of its performance in the field of education, education and drinking water and infrastructure development, which has improved the human development index for the state. A huge investment had been made in the social infrastructure sector and as the central assistance fell short of the required level, the state had been caught in a debt trap, it points out while justifying the need for higher devolution. |
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Proposal on town runs into rough weather Solan, December 11 Prior approval of the cabinet and financial approval has not been sought for the proposal to which involves investment of Rs 170 crore. It has cast doubts on the whole process. Further the board’s plea that the township meant for population of 30,000 plus will ease congestion in Solan and Shimla has failed to find favour with higher officials. Flats developed earlier by the board at Shogi and Baddi having attracted only a handful of locals and majority of outsiders having made these their temporary abode the plea of easing congestion fails to succeed. Not much truth is seen in the concept where the state government is expected to spend huge amount for allowing outsiders to settle in the region. With water scarcity already being a major concern the suggestion of the board to draw water from the already over exploited Ashwini Khud seems far-fetched opined IPH officials at the Board meeting last evening. While the board estimated the cost for the provision of water at Rs 15.22 crore, lack of water has been contended as an obstacle for this proposal by IPH department. The board has been directed to prepare a blueprint of the whole plan and clarify how funds of Rs 170 crore will be generated for constructing the township at yesterday’s meeting. The fact that the Town and Country Planning Department has been directed to prepare a proposal for freezing land use in the proposed area and hence ensuring no further sale and purchase of property without a cabinet decision has also drawn the attention of the committee looking into the matter. Terming the whole process sans clarity the board has been directed to make its concept clear. |
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Municipal council
starts demolition drive Dalhousie, December 11 The demolition bid is being seen as a firm step by the administration to deal with the lawbreakers. The question, however, remains whether accountability will be fixed and all those found guilty will be punished. Even government departments are not far behind in manipulating rules and regulations. They too, have been evading the provisions of different building bye-laws and Acts which do not suit them. Meanwhile, Mrs Renu Chadha, district president of the BJP and former president of the dissolved Municipal Council of Dalhousie, has accused the functionaries of the council of making a mockery of the demolition drive by issuing six-hour notices, surprisingly, only to two encroachers out of 11 defaulters. Mrs Chadha alleged that the functionaries of the council had only demolished slabs at three places, which were easily reparable, whereas according to the demolition orders, the entire three-storeyed structures should have been demolished. She expressed surprise whether the municipal council, having hardly about two dozen labourers, could demolish the concrete structures manually. |
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Declining sex ratio worries minister Dharamsala, December 11 According to statistical figures available with the Health Department at Shimla, Thural tehsil in Kangra district has one of the lowest male:female ratio in the country. In this tehsil for every 1,000 males there are just 738 females. Health Minister Chandresh Kumari while expressing concern over the declining sex ratio said in 1991 there were 927 females for every 1,000 males. This had declined and according to 2001 figures there were 897 females to 1000 males in the state, she added. Suprisingly Kangra district which has quite a high literacy rate has just 836 females to 1,000
males. The Health Minister during one of her public meetings at Lambagoan in Kangra yesterday expressed shock over the sharp decline in the sex ratio in this district. She said though pre-natal tests were banned in the state but stringent laws would be enforced for checking the practice of female
foeticide. She said if this ratio further declined there would be an imbalance in the society that could lead to disaster and increase in crime against women.
— UNI |
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Telemedicine project for IGMC Shimla, December 11 Stating this at a press conference here yesterday, Dr Harbans Kapoor, Principal of the IGMC, said the telemedicine facility would provide audio-visual connectivity between the two institutions allowing instant consultations which would benefit the patients. Dr Kapoor denied that the college did not have staff and other facilities according to the norms of the Medical Council of India. The college had a teaching staff of 160 against the minimum prescribed strength of 133 and the college library had a total of 8,845 books as against the minimum requirement of 7,000 books laid down by the MCI. A sum of Rs 50 lakh was being provided for updating the library with the latest books and foreign journals. Dr Kapoor said efforts were being made to start open-heart surgery in the college from June next year for which the state government had promised adequate funds. |
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50 medical students face action Kangra, December 11 These students boycotted their class tests in microbiology and were remaining absent en mass from their classes from time to time. Dr L.S. Lal, Principal of the college, stated this while talking to this reporter here today. Dr Lal said indiscipline would not be tolerated in the college and disciplinary action would be taken against the students of the fourth semester batch which may amount to barring them from their university examination. He said he had received a written demand from the head of the Microbiology department for disciplinary action against the students. He said on November 4, the students boycotted their class test en mass. Dr Lal said he had already informed the parents of these students about their behaviour. He said the college authorities were constrained to take disciplinary action against them as repeated warnings to them had proved futile. |
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Embezzlement of 19.50 lakh detected
Nahan, December 11 Sirmaur district police Chief Shiv Ram Sharma said here today that a CIA team handled the two cases. The cases involve embezzlement of government funds allegedly by the staff of a middle school at Kanti Mashwa and the other by the Nahan unit of the HPSEB. Mr Sharma said that the case of Kanti Mashwa school involved misappropriation of Rs 8.5 lakh in 1999 while in the HPSEB case it was Rs 11 lakh between 1994-97. He said the challan would be presented before the court against the alleged accused next week. The SP said that in the cases related to the Education Department the alleged accused were two teachers Ram Swaroop and Jagdish Ram and clerk Dinesh Chand. In the second case those involved were identified as Mohan Lal and Surinder Kumar both billing clerks and Bhupinder Sharma, a senior clerk.
— UNI |
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Power supply to Hamirpur restored Hamirpur, December 11 The power supply in various parts of the district, including the town, was snapped yesterday afternoon following burning of feeder panels resulting in a huge loss of money to the board. Mr Katna said a team of the board was busy analysing the cause behind the fire as well as working out details of the loss suffered. He clarified that the repair work was in progress. Meanwhile, there are reports that the board is upset over the incident that hit the headlines today. Shimla-based senior officers of the board remained in touch with their Hamirpur based officers to seek their version about the incident that led to complete break down of power in the district causing inconvenience to the public. |
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Snow leopards
gifted to Kufri park
Kufri (Shimla), December 11 In return, the Himachal Pradesh Wildlife department will hand over a pair of rare ‘monals’, a pair of ‘kalij’ and red jungle fowl pheasants to the Darjeeling park officials, Dr Lalit Mohan, Conservator, Wildlife Department, said yesterday. Dr B.R. Sharma, Director, Padmaja Park, was satisfied with the environment of the park. It is located at a height of 8,000 feet. However, he has suggested certain modifications like having wooden flooring and better ventilation for the snow leopards in their enclosures. Arrangements are being made by the Himachal Pradesh Widlife Department and the authorities in Darjeeling for air-lifting of the animals from Darjeeling to Chandigarh from where these animals will be transported to the park by road.
— UNI |
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Legislature Cong Party meeting on December 14 Shimla, December 11
Minister for Parliament Affairs Kaul Singh Thakur said that strategy of the Congress party for the session would be drawn up at the meeting.
— PTI Cop arrested
on bribe charge Hamirpur, December 11 The money has been recovered from the police officer, according to an official spokesman. The raid was conducted this morning inside the local police Thana, where Mr Nirmal Singh lives. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered. |
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Motorists looted, 3 held Kumarhatti, December 11 Jitender Kumar, alias Babbu (22), from UP and Hanuman (45) from Rajasthan and Anil Kumar (27), alias Kala, a local, were arrested from Jorhji village last night after the motorists verified their identification. The three were produced before court at Solan this evening for police remand. S.R. Mardi, DIG, visited the crime spot today. |
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