H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

BJP submits ‘charge sheet’ against Cong govt to Kokje

Shimla, March 5 The Himachal state unit of the BJP today submitted a charge sheet against the Virbhadra Singh regime to Governor V.S. Kokje, urging him to stem the rot under the Congress rule.

BJP leaders on the way to Raj Bhavan for submitting a “charge sheet” against the Congress government to the Governor in Shimla on Friday. — Photo by Anil Dayal

Tissue of lies, says CM
Shimla, March 5
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Chief Minister, dismissed the BJP charge sheet as a “bundle of lies”. He said that the party which brought the corruption culture to the hill state, ruined its financial health and caused damage to the instruments of governance had no moral right to make such allegations.

Corruption charges against Dhumal not to be dropped: CM
Shimla, March 5
The assets of Mr P.K. Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, and several other BJP leaders are under the vigilance scanner. The investigation into the properties of Mr Dhumal is being pursued on the basis of the list released by Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, during the Assembly poll in the state. 

• Markandey joins BJP

Resentment brews over auction of entry barriers
Solan, March 5
The decision of the state government to auction entry tax barriers in Himachal Pradesh on March 10 has come in for sharp criticism from the people who were awaiting the scrapping of the system from this year. The Congress that had voiced its protest against the system earlier had preferred to continue it after being voted to power.

Construction of stage-III of Parbati project soon
Dalhousie, March 5
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will soon start the construction of the stage-III of the 520 MW Parbati hydroelectric project. Simultaneously, the corporation has speeded up the work on the 800 MW Parbati project stage-II in Kulu district.

• Ex-minister decries downgrading of zonal hospital

• Hola Mohalla procession held

BJP submits ‘charge sheet’ against Cong govt to Kokje
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 5
The Himachal state unit of the BJP today submitted a charge sheet against the Virbhadra Singh regime to Governor V.S. Kokje, urging him to stem the rot under the Congress rule.

The party has documented acts of commission and omission the Congress government over the one year of its rule.

Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, state BJP chief, led partymen to Raj Bhavan to submit the charge sheet. All senior BJP leaders, including Mr Shanta Kumar, a former Union Minister and Mr P.K. Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, were present.

The charge sheet accuses the government of corruption in the grant of industrial licences, allotment of industrial plots, sanctioning of loans, award of contracts and appointment to government jobs.

Several specific cases are mentioned. It alleges that 58 licences were given for the setting up of arc furnace based steel units by taking money. These units consume a lot of power, which was very cheap in the state, and did not create employment opportunities. A large number of licences for this type of industry in one go smacked of corruption, the party alleged.

The state Handicraft and Handloom Corporation awarded a Rs 3.19 crore contract to a firm under political pressure without inviting tenders and the state Financial Corporation sanctioned a loan of Rs 1.75 crore to a favoured company without meeting conditions. Some ministers have allegedly hired out personal properties to government departments at exorbitant renting by misusing official position.

The party termed the starting and banning of lottery as a scandal and demanded a high-level inquiry into it. The government has been accused of interfering in the day-to-day functioning of autonomous institutions like the universities. Copies of certain letters sent to the university from the Chief Minister’s office have been attached with the charge sheet. Even constitutional entities like the state Public Service Commission has not been spared. It demanded a CBI probe into the Katwal tapes.

The charge sheet refers to bad law and order situation and points out last instances like the murder of a cousin of Captain Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister in Shimla and the beating up of a son of a minister near Nadaun. It also attacks Mr Virbhadra Singh for defending Mr Amarjit Bawa, against whom about 70 criminal cases had been registered in Haryana.

Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, said that the administration had virtually collapsed and corruption flourished like never before during the past one year. He said the Congress rule had been a disaster and the government in view of these charges lost the right to remain in office.

Mr Dhumal said that the Congress government to review the MoU’s signed during the BJP regime for the execution of hydel projects had discouraged independent power producers (IPP’s) who were no longer interested in setting up projects in the state.

Tissue of lies, says CM
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 5
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Chief Minister, dismissed the BJP charge sheet as a “bundle of lies”. He said that the party which brought the corruption culture to the hill state, ruined its financial health and caused damage to the instruments of governance had no moral right to make such allegations.

At a press conference, he said the charge sheet was only a slipshod compilation of baseless accusations conjectures and surmises. It was not worth the ink with which it was written.

He said he had ordered himself a review of the licences granted by the Industries Department for setting up the power-intensive arc furnace-based units because they were not evenly distributed. He said he would have no objection if these units came up where in the Kangra or Bilaspur districts where power was available. Similarly, the industrial plots were given to entrepreneurs on fixed rates decided during the previous regime.

He clarified that the entrance test for admission to JBT training course had to be cancelled as the NCTE (national council for teacher’s education) granted permission to fill 800 more seats. As per the ruling of the Supreme Court the test must be conducted afresh if number of seats were increased by more than 25 per cent. The ban on lottery was lifted by the Dhumal government and the present government only took further action in the matter. However, it decided a complete ban when some organisations brought to notice that it was not in the interest of the poor people.

Corruption charges against Dhumal
not to be dropped: CM
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 5
The assets of Mr P.K. Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, and several other BJP leaders are under the vigilance scanner. The investigation into the properties of Mr Dhumal is being pursued on the basis of the list released by Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, during the Assembly poll in the state. The probe into the assets of some former BJP ministers and other leaders is being conducted on the basis of the Congress charge sheet against Dhumal government. The document had been forwarded to the Vigilance Department for further action. The department subsequently initiated a number of inquiries, which were at various stages of investigation.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the government was determined to take the matter to its logical conclusion. The Dhumal government had been steeped in corruption and several BJP leaders had amassed wealth overnight. Palatial houses were built by them across the state and even outside. The vigilance agencies were picking up threads from the allegations levelled by Capt Amarinder Singh against Mr Dhumal in this regard.

He said Mr Dhumal had not only patronised corruption but had also undermined the credibility of prestigious constitutional bodies like the state public service commission by appointing his favourites’ as chairperson and members. The result was there for all to see. While the instances of bunglings in selection had come from within the commission, its own office was in a mess. Rules and regulations had been thrown to the winds to reward “favoured but undeserving” with promotions. The former secretary of the commission, Mr S.C. Mehta, had complained to the government how rules and regulations were being flouted by the commission with some officials securing as many as three promotions within a short period.

The manner in which the selections had been made could be judged from the fact that those who secured just 14 per cent marks in the written examination were not only called for interview for the post of Assistant District Attorney but had also been selected. In case of the recent selection of Assistant Engineers three out of the four members of the interview panel had stated that the final list had been changed which was a very serious matter.

When the government asked the commission to explain, the BJP raised a hue and cry that the autonomy of a constitutional body was being eroded. The constitutional bodies had to uphold the spirit of the Constitution and not to cheat people.

Markandey joins BJP
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 5
Dr R.L. Markandey, a former Himachal Vikas Congress Minister, joined the BJP today. He represented the tribal Lahaul-Spiti constituency from 1998 to 2003. He was defeated in the last assembly elections.

Resentment brews over auction of entry barriers
Our Correspondent

Solan, March 5
The decision of the state government to auction entry tax barriers in Himachal Pradesh on March 10 has come in for sharp criticism from the people who were awaiting the scrapping of the system from this year. The Congress that had voiced its protest against the system earlier had preferred to continue it after being voted to power.

The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had announced the rationalisation of the entry tax a few days ago but the provision of partial relaxation to the people has also drawn flak from the locals who are against paying the entry tax for entering their own state.

As many as 35 entry barriers spread all over the state are a source of revenue worth crore of rupees.

Solan alone has seven barriers and the zone earns more than Rs 12 crore annually. Thus the already cash-strapped state government is in no position to scrap this lucrative auction.

The Excise and Taxation Department has fixed reserve money for the seven barriers in Solan, which has the highest number of barriers followed by Una and Sirmaur. The reserve money stands at Rs 3.10 crore for Parwanoo, Rs 1.01 crore for Baddi-Barotiwala and Rs 50 lakh for Derowaal-Dhabota-Bhagheri-Gulerwala-Navgoan. The Excise and Taxation Additional Commissioner, Mr Amit Kashyap, said residents living within the radius of five km from the barrier had been provided the facility of a quaterly pass for Rs 100, while others would have to pay toll tax for 45 days. The measure, he said, had been taken specially to facilitate Himachalis.

Though the Congress had promised to do away with the barriers once voted to power its leaders had conveniently evaded the issue on the pretext that it did not figure in their manifesto.

Construction of stage-III of Parbati project soon

Dalhousie, March 5
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will soon start the construction of the stage-III of the 520 MW Parbati hydroelectric project. Simultaneously, the corporation has speeded up the work on the 800 MW Parbati project stage-II in Kulu district.

Mr S.K. Dodeja, Chief Executive Director of the NHPC said here today the corporation would undertake major works on the 231 MW Chamera project (stage-III) on the Ravi in Chamba district after obtaining forest clearance.

Mr Dodeja claimed the corporation had accelerated the construction of 120 MW Sewa hydroelectric project (stage-II) which was located in Bashnoi tehsil of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. — OC

Ex-minister decries downgrading of zonal hospital
Our Correspondent

Chowari, March 5
A former minister and senior BJP leader, Mr Kishori Lal, has lambasted the state government for downgrading the zonal hospital at Chamba to a district hospital which was upgraded by the previous BJP-led government.

Talking to reporters here today, he criticised the state government for the deterioration in the law and order situation in the state as was evident from an assault on family members of state Forest Minister. He sought a probe into the incident.

Hola Mohalla procession held

Paonta Sahib, March 5
A procession was held on the occasion of Hola Mohalla at Paonta Sahib in which a large number of pilgrims took part. This procession which started from Gurdwara Sahib ended at Badri Nagar.