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Shimla, January 14 Dismissed employees’ leader, Gopal Das Verma, said today that he would move the Supreme Court to get the pending cases against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the High Court, shifted outside the state.
Reckless quarrying in
Palampur
Naddi to be developed as tourist
destination
SSSSB ex-chief faces another
case
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Pandola bridge
inaugurated
Construction of Kol dam
starts
DC removes
garbage
Four employees’ leaders reinstated
Income tax raids at Nahan
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Gopal Das to move SC against
CM
Shimla, January 14 Addressing a press conference, he said he would leave no stone unturned to expose Mr Virbhadra Singh and besides filing a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, he would also fight him politically. He charged the Chief Minister with indulging in corruption and nepotism and demanded a CBI inquiry into the charges against him. Ms Pratibha Singh, wife of Mr Virbhadra Singh, was emerging as an extra-constitutional centre of power and she was virtually behaving like a Chief Minister. He said his dismissal from the service was malafide and the only reason for the government’s action was that he had submitted a memorandum against Mr Virbhadra Singh to Ms Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, highlighting his high-handed attitude and victimisation of employees. He said he would again meet Ms Gandhi and apprise her of the latest developments. Mr Verma said he would convene a meeting of all employees’ bodies in March to finalise the strategy to ensure the defeat of the Congress in the Lok Sabha poll. |
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Reckless quarrying in
Palampur
PALAMPUR: Illegal and unscientific quarrying in this part of Himachal is not only creating environmental degradation but also causing a huge loss to the state exchequer every year. Most of those involved in this illegal trade have no legal rights to extract sand, stone, bajri and other raw material from khuds and quarries. However, they manage to get no-objection certificates from various departments for extraction of stone, sand and other raw material because of political patronage. Officials of the Mining Department have been issuing them casual permits from time to time, charging a nominal royalty causing huge losses to the state exchequer. Besides the Mining Department, various Divisional Forest Officers have also been issuing no-objection certificates under pressure from ministers and MLAs for the extraction of stone and sand from quarries and
khuds. The situation in Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur subdivisions of this region is no better as over 7,000 hectares of land has been affected by quarrying and other construction activities. The reckless mining in Neugal
khud, which passes through the town has caused a huge loss to “Sorabh Van Vihar”, a tourist resort being constructed by the government on the right bank of the
khud. The government has spent over Rs 1.5 crore on this project. During the last rainy season, a part of this resort was washed away as the khud changed its course because of quarrying on the other side of the river. The quarrying has also posed a serious threat to over 36 irrigation and drinking water supply schemes. The existence of Kirpal Chand “kuhal” feeding over 20 panchayats comprising 100 villages of Palampur, Bhawarna and Daroh blocks and Charnamati and lower Baijnath
‘‘kuhals’’ feeding 15 panchayats of Baijnath block is in danger because of continuous quarrying in their catchment areas. The Irrigation and Public Health Department has time and again requested the Mining Department to initiate serious efforts to check illegal mining but nothing has been done. A senior official of the IPH Department says that if no timely action is taken, over 12 drinking water supply schemes will go dry in the next five years, which get water from the Neugal and other
khuds. Owing to the reckless quarrying the water level of not only Neugal but also other khuds like
Binwa, Gaj, Baner, Awa , Bathoo, Mol and Bhiral has also gone down in the past five years. These khuds feed 200 drinking water supply schemes in Kangra district. During the last summer, residents of the region experienced drought-like conditions as most of these khuds had gone dry as early as in April and May . Since all these khuds are the tributaries of the Beas, the water level in Pong dam has also gone down this year. An official of the BBMB says that large-scale deforestation and reckless quarrying in the catchments areas of Pong dam is responsible for the drastic fall in the water level. He says the BBMB has written several letters to the Himachal Pradesh Government to check illicit felling, mining and quarrying in the catchments areas of these khuds falling in Kangra and Mandi districts, but no serious steps have been initiated as a result of which silt is flowing into the dam every year, reducing its life. |
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Naddi to be developed as tourist
destination
Dharamsala, January 14 Mr Virbhadra Singh said Naddi was one of the most picturesque areas in Upper Dharamsala and could attract foreign and Indian tourists . He said the famous Gunni Mata Temple would be linked by ropeway from Naddi so that tourists could enjoy the natural beauty of the area. He said the seepage in Dal Lake , one of most important landmartks of Upper Dharamsala, needs checking and a team of experts would be asked to plug the seepage. The Chief Minister said tourism had great potential for providing employment avenues to the local youths and as such his government was committed to ensure that tourism was developed without causing any bottlenecks or damaging the ecology of the area. He said rural areas need to be included in tourism so that visitors were able to have an experience of traditional hill lifestyle and culture. The Chief Minister announced the upgradation of Government High School, Dari, to senior secondary level and the Government Middle School, Totarani, as a high school. Mr Virbhadra Singh also ordered that primary schools at Kandkariyana, Bhatalla and Ramer be upgraded as middle schools. He gave Rs 5,000 each to Government Middle School, Totarani, and primary schools of Ramer and Kandkaryana for presenting colourful cultural programme. Meanwhile, Himachal Transport Minister G.S. Bali in a joint statement here today criticised the BJP for spreading lies that black flags were shown to the Chief Minister when he visited Lambaloo village in Hamirpur to inaugurate a bridge. Mr Bali and Ms Verma said it was factually incorrect to say that the Chief Minister was shown black flags when in reality he was given a warm welcome by the people of the area. They said handful of BJP workers carrying black flags had assembled on a hillock away from the area where the Chief Minister was to visit. |
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SSSSB ex-chief faces another
case
Shimla, January 14 According to sources in the department, investigations have revealed that marks awarded in the interview and written test have been changed arbitrarily to ensure selection of favoured candidates. In one case the marks of a candidate were reduced as a result of which he could not be selected. In one case the interview marks have been increased from 6 to 13. In the remarks column of the interview sheet the candidate was graded as below average but later the marks were increased and he was selected. Scrutiny of answersheets revealed that marks had been awarded arbitrarily in the written test. Recommendations were made for 209 posts of physical education teacher by the board. However, the selected candidates could not be appointed as Assembly elections were announced in the state. This will be sixth case pertaining to alleged irregularities in recruitments carried out by the board. |
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Pandola bridge
inaugurated
Hamirpur, January 14 Addressing a public meeting at Bohni village of Hamirpur district the Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh was a model of development among hill states. Mr Virbhadra Singh said besides creating a vast network of educational institutions, roads and bridges, the state had strengthened its rural economy. He said the target for electrification of all census villages in the state had also been achieved in 1988. He announced that Government High School, Bohni, would be upgraded to senior secondary school. Middle school, Bafriyan, to high school and primary schools of Bhari, Dhoh, Urali, Jungal Beri to middle schools. Ms Anita Verma, MLA, also spoke on the occasion. Mr Virbhadra Singh visited the house of Capt Mridul Sharma at Hamirpur today and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family of the martyr. Capt Mridul Sharma had recently laid down life in Rajouri sector of J&K in an aggression against the terrorists. |
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Construction of Kol dam
starts
Mandi, January 14 Chief General Manager-cum-Managing Director of the NTPC C.P. Jain today formally launched the construction of the 163-m high dam, 4 km upstream of slappar bridge on NH 21, in the district. The project cost has been estimated to be Rs 4,493 crore. Mr Jain said the northern states now reeling under acute power crisis would heave a sigh of relief when the project would be completed in June, 2008, and starts generating, power. He added that Himachal would be benefited by getting 27 per cent of the total share of the electricity produced of which 12 per cent will be free of cost and 15 per cent on bus-bar tariff. Another striking feature of the dam is that it will enhance the life of the Bhakra reservoir by 18 years. It will also go a long way in recharging underground water in the downstream belts. A surface power house will be constructed at the dam and four vertical turbines of 200 mw each will be installed. |
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DC removes
garbage Mandi, January 14 Hitting hard at some organisations pretending to be engaged in environmental conservation, he lamented that they were doing nothing practical. He maintained that only voluntary labour and social service done with missionary zeal could help improve the environment. |
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Four employees’ leaders reinstated
Shimla, January 14 Mr Ganga Singh, president of the state non-gazetted services federation, and Mr Prem Singh, general secretary of the federation, have both been reinstated. The suspension of two prominent leaders of the state unit of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Mr Surinder Thakur and Mr Gopal Jilta, has also been revoked. |
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Income tax raids at Nahan
Nahan, January 14 Search was carried out on the residence and business premises of the owners under Section 133-A of the Income Tax Act. Team members revealed that raids were conducted on Pindi Traders and Jagat Traders. The team was headed by Mr R.C. Bekta. |
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