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Kulu, January 27 Ms Vidya Stokes, President, HPCC, and Power Minister packed out of the HPCC resolution passed recently in which the Congress had decided not to give re-entry to the expelled Congressmen and said “that was just the view of various members present at the meeting” but the media had publicised that to be the “passed resolution”. Cong keen on fielding
Rahul, Priyanka
News Analysis Bus fare for students reduced by 80 pc |
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Chill fails
to dampen R-Day enthusiasm
Bridge near Parwanoo needs attention
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Stokes clarifies decision on expelled Cong men
Kulu, January 27 Answering question regarding the reaction of Virbhadra Singh against the said resolution, Ms Stokes said “He misunderstood as he was given wrong information”. She said the party was supreme and above individual. In a subsequent question that whether the HPCC was taking any action against the Chief Minister for his reaction and going to the media for criticising the HPCC decision. She said the matter would be settled by the party. The Power Minister revealed that Rs 32 crore had been allocated for the district for the augmentation and development of power supply in the rural areas under the APDP plan. She said this plan could have been executed by March in the district but because of the heavy snowfall the completion would be delayed. Answering another question that people were facing difficulty in getting new power connections due to the shortage of energy meters and service wire in this HPSEB division, the Power Minister said new electronic meters had been ordered and the problem would be sorted out by March. Asked what plans the government had for the revision of MoUs of the power projects coming up in Himachal Pradesh, the Power Minister said that the present government had decided to have participation in all power projects and also put a few stipulations for the benefits of the state. She emphasised on providing employment to the locals in the power projects. About the funds for the state’s participation in power projects, Ms Stokes said Himachal Pradesh would raise loans. |
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Cong keen on fielding
Rahul, Priyanka
Shimla, January 27 Mrs Vidya Stokes, Himachal PCC chief, said that she was going to Delhi to meet Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Congress President, in this regard. She said she would request Mrs Gandhi to field one of the two young descendents of the Nehru-Gandhi family from the state. The family from time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi had special ties with Himachal which would be strengthened. She said that the BJP was panicky over the entry of Rahul and Priyanka into electoral politics was evident from the reaction of Mr Pramod Mahajan, a senior BJP leader. She said feel-good factor was an illusion created to mislead the people and the BJP was sensing defeat at the hustings. The manner in which it was trying to win back Mr Kalyan Singh, who levelled all sorts of charges against Mr Vajpayee and Mr L.K. Advani only strengthened this impression. She said her party would win all four seats in the state. |
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News Analysis Shimla, January 27 Besides laying foundation stones of various development projects and promising opening of new institutions, the Chief Minister took a number of decisions to woo the backward classes. The announcement to set up separate boards for the welfare of backward classes and the promise to increase their quota in jobs from the existing 18 per cent on the recommendation of the state Backward Classes Commission is clearly aimed at denting the OBC vote bank. The strategy is to capitalise on the disenchantment of the backward classes from the Dhumal regime. Mr Vidya
Sagar, an OBC himself, resigned from ministership in protest against the raw deal handed out his community. The backward classes have sizeable presence in Kangra, Una and parts of Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts. The decision to set up a welfare board for Scheduled Castes had been taken to consolidate the party’s traditional support base. However, the move to post a Joint Secretary from the Chief Minister’s secretariat at Dharamsala to ensure prompt action for redressal of public grievances and depute ministers in turns at the Mini-Secretariat there is clearly aimed at convincing the people of merged areas that the Congress was serious about making it a second capital. The BJP had, on the eve poll, promised to make Dharamsala the winter capital of the state and after its defeat in Assembly poll it was demanding shifting of the capital from Shimla to lower hills. The winter sojourn of Mr Virbhadra Singh has certainly put the party in the election mode and enthused the workers. The success of winter sojourn might have created a feel-good factor in the Congress camp but the issues like large-scale transfer of employees, failure to provide jobs and lack of will to reverse the policies of the BJP government against whom the employee had been agitating could affect its chances. |
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Bus fare for students reduced by 80 pc Dharamsala, January 27 The Transport Minister announced at a press conference here that the Corporation has decided to reduce bus fare for the students of Government Colleges and government aided colleges by 80 per cent. The HRTC had, last year, increased bus fare for the college students from 10 single fares to 50 single fares in one go. This had caused resentment among college students who fall in the age group of 18 to 22 years and formed sizeable number of young voters in the state. The minister declared that these students will have to pay only 10 single fares. He also announced that bus fare charged from the students of private schools would be reduced from 50 single fares per month to 40 single fares. Mr Bali said that students had been agitating against this hike and the state government had allowed the HRTC to reduce bus fares. The 80 per cent reduction in bus fare is available only to the students of 95 per cent government-aided colleges and not to the students of government colleges as there was not bus fare hike for them last year. |
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Chill fails
to dampen R-Day enthusiasm
Shimla, January 27 Extreme cold conditions in the wake of season’s heaviest snowfall failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the people who turned out in large numbers to attend functions organised at various places. Mr V.S. Kokje, Governor, unfurled the National Flag and took salute at an impressive march past by the contingents of Army, police, Home Guards and the NCC at the Ridge at the state-level function here. Major Nitish Krishna of the Bihar Regiment commanded the parade and Mr Sandeep Dhawal, Deputy Superintendent of Police led the guard of honour. Mrs Leela Kokje, wife of the Governor, Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, Agriculture Minister, Mr Dharam Pal, Deputy Speaker, Mr Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Harbhajan Singh, local MLA, and Mr Sohan Lal, Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, and senior officers of the state were also present. Similar functions were held at various other places. At Rekong Peo in Kinnaur Revenue Minister, Mr Singhi Ram unfurled the Tricolour, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Power Minister, at Kulu, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, at Solan, Mr Sat Mahajan, Rural Development Minister, at Nahan and Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, at Bilaspur. At Dharamsala Mr Chander Kumar, Forest Minister, presided over the function, at Una Mrs Chandresh Kumari, Health Minister, presided, at Mandi Mrs Asha Kumari, Education Minister, and at Hamirpur Mr B.B.L. Butail, Revenue Minister. Himachal Industries Minister Ram Lal Thakur presided over a district-level Republic Day function at Chamba. |
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Bridge near Parwanoo needs attention
Kumarhatti, January 27 There have been a number of accidents, involving loss of human lives, on it in the past. Ironically a hoarding welcomes motorists to ‘Dev Bhomi’ of HP just at a stone's throw from the bridge. The bridge lacks scientific point of equilibrium hence there is always a fear of the falling of loaded trucks or mini trucks crossing the upper portion of the bridge on traffic passing the lower portion of the bridge. There are more chances of the accident, as the heavy vehicles have to cross bridge at a very slow speed due to the HP barrier. Moreover Haryana has also set up it's tax collection barrier on its side of bridge forcing vehicles to pass at a snail's pace. This often lead to traffic congestion between highway stretch of two state barriers as a result traffic remains blocked on bridge on both sides. The locals prefer to avoid crossing the bridge whenever heavy vehicles are crossing it.. Keeping in view the wrong design of the bridge it should be abandoned for traffic, opine residents of Parwanoo who have to cross the bridge daily. If the PWD can not dismantle this bridge it should at least close the upper portion of the bridge so that loaded trucks do not fall on the traffic using the lower portion of the bridge, they say. The designing of the bridge was technically okay, pointed a top official in the PWD NH. The bridge was designed keeping in mind the speed of vehicles on the national highway, he asserted. The problem had arisen due to the setting up of barriers on both side of the bridge. It would be ideal to shift the location of the barriers, he suggested. |
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