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Dhumal charged with defending corrupt Walkout in HP Vidhan Sabha Ram temple after
poll, says Shanta BJP to launch ‘Satyamev Jayate’ campaign |
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Timber smuggler held 5-year RI for attempt to rape
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Dhumal charged with defending corrupt Shimla, February 26 Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address he said corruption in the state started from him and ended with him. While in power he became fountainhead of corruption and as an Opposition leader he had been championing the cause of corrupt with commitment. Every time the government started an inquiry into any case of graft. Mr Dhumal felt threatened and started a hue and cry. Whether it was Vigilance probe into the recruitment scam in the Subordinate Services Selection Board or Himachal Pradesh University, Mr Dhumal came out in the defence of those responsible for irregularities. Obviously, Mr Dhumal was not concerned about the Vice-Chancellor, here was trying to save his own skin, the Chief Minister said. Mr Dhumal, he said, would go down as the destroyer of institutions. He never trusted ‘upright’ officers and packed important institutions with his cronies. He wished that Mr Dhumal had appointed some meritorious and law-abiding persons from amongst his loyalists. Even image of the state Public Service Commission, a constitutional body, had been tarnished by the recent allegation that selection list of assistant engineers had been changed. There were four members on the interview panel of which three maintained that the list had been changed. He said he did not want that reputation of the commission sullied due to the misdeeds of a few individuals. For this reason he had asked the chairman of the commission to resign and save it from disgrace of a Vigilance inquiry. The Chief Minister blasted policies of the Dhumal government like the regularisation of encroachments which played havoc with forests of the state. Number of encroachment cases increased after the policy was announced. In 1999 there were 57,590 cases involving 1,23,835 bighas of land which shot up to 1,67,339 involving 3,14,534 bighas almost overnight. Even reserve and demarcated protected forests had not been spared. Thousands of trees were felled by encroachers harming environment. On the issue of lotteries, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that his government was only pursuing the policy of the previous government. The Dhumal government banned the state lottery on November 4, 1999 but decided to restart it on July 25, 2002. The process for awarding contract for lottery was also initiated and his government only took further action in the matter. However, he said his government could review the decision. Rebutting the BJP change that no jobs had been given he gave department-wise break-up for 15,000 posts which had been either filled or were in the process of being filled. |
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Walkout in HP Vidhan Sabha Shimla, February 26 The members were on their feet demanding more time for the debate as soon as the Speaker, Mr Gulab Singh, asked Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, to give his reply. As the Chair turned down their plea, they walked out in protest. The Chief Minister said such walkouts were part of their strategy to avoid listening to the reply to the baseless issues raised by them during the debate. They had been staging walkouts on flimsy grounds. They had no faith on democratic functioning and believed in one-way traffic. They spoke as per their will and then vanished from the House at the time of reply. Mr Gangu Ram Musafir later clarified that he had given adequate time to all groups in the House. The ruling Congress got 51 per cent of time, the BJP 41 per cent and others 8 per cent which was more than fair distribution of the allotted time for debate. However, later speaking to mediapersons Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, leader of the BJP, alleged that the voice of the Opposition was being muzzled by the ruling party. it adopted an adamant attitude on the plea of the Opposition to allow more time for discussion. He said had the time extended by 30 minutes, some more members could have got an opportunity to participate in the debate. |
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CM defends INTUC chief Shimla, February 26 He took the Haryana Police to task for repeated attempt of illegally taking away Mr Bawa at midnight from Himachal without taking the local police into confidence. He said the hill state was not a dominion of Haryana where its police could enter at will. He said the government would not allow this unless there was a valid warrant against a person. He stated this in the Vidhan Sabha during the debate on Governor’s Address. He said 60 cases had been registered against Mr Bawa in Haryana. A son of Haryana Chief Minister O.P. Chautala wanted to contest election from Kalka and he was pressuring Mr Bawa to join the INLD. Since Mr Bawa had refused to oblige he was being targeted. He said security had been provided to Mr Bawa by the Himachal Police on the basis of threat perception. |
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Ram temple after
poll, says Shanta Kangra, February 26 Mr Shanta Kumar was addressing a press conference after a meeting with BJP workers at Gupta Ganga here. He said the temple would be constructed at the temple site in Ayodhya in an atmosphere of peace, tranquility and mutual understanding between the Hindus and Muslims of the country. He said the BJP was contesting the elections with the slogan “5 saal kay kaam aur Atal ji kaa naam saath main hai Ram”. He was critical of the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, for his utterances that the Central Government was ignoring Himachal Pradesh
vis-a-vis its development. He said the Central Government had granted funds to the tune of Rs 593 crore for development projects in the state. Among others who addressed the workers included former Transport Minister, Mr Krishen Kapoor, former Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, and Zila Parishad chief, Mr Rattan Jagat Amba. |
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BJP to launch ‘Satyamev Jayate’ campaign Shimla, February 26 Mr Ajay Sharma, convener of the party’s media cell, said “the lies being perpetrated by the government would be exposed and people would be reminded of unkept promises.” The cell would set up media centres in each of the four parliamentary constituencies. A core group would prepare the material for the Press at the state-level. Meanwhile, Mr Randhir Sharma, party spokesperson, said the government had only announced the opening of just 200 schools in the Budget but it was taking the credit for 600 schools. The remaining 400 institutions were part of the “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” which was not being mentioned to mislead the people. |
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Students threaten stir Dharamsala, February 26 In a statement, president of the CSA Arvind Mehta alleged that while many posts of teachers were lying vacant in the regional centres at Dharamsala, teachers fulfilling UGC norms were being shifted while those teaching in the local college were being asked to take classes . He said this was adversely affecting the studies and was not acceptable. According to a decision of the students, if regular teachers were not posted in the centre, the students will boycott classes and launch an agitation. |
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Timber smuggler held Kangra, February 26 Kangra district police chief S. Zahoor H. Zaidi said that Daleep Singh, a resident of Kurson village, was arrested by a naka party at the Chuchunk Khud near Kathgarh village while smuggling 19 logs of sheshem, 12 logs of simval, 3 logs of shetoot and 2 logs of darek being carried in a tractor to Punjab from Himachal Pradesh. |
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5-year RI for attempt to rape Chamba, February 26 He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of five years and fined Rs 10,000. On May 7, 2002, the girl had gone to the jungle to graze cattle when Tokha Ram attempted to rape her. She was saved by villagers who were in the vicinity. |
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Shimla, February 26
