H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Sonia Gandhi promises women’s empowerment, more jobs
Palampur, May 3
Accusing the NDA government of cheating the people of the country by not fulfilling election promises made in 1999 AICC chief Mrs Sonia Gandhi today urged people to vote the Vajpayee government out of power.

AICC President Sonia Gandhi waves to the crowd after addressing an election rally at Luhnu ground, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh on Monday. — Tribune Photo Pankaj Sharma

Power panel’s direction to board
Shimla, May 3
In a significant order, the state electricity regulatory commission has said that the state electricity board is under an obligation to provide power to the consumers within 30 days as per the Electricity Act, 2003.

Sonia Gandhi promises women’s empowerment, more jobs
Tribune News Service

Palampur, May 3
Accusing the NDA government of cheating the people of the country by not fulfilling election promises made in 1999 AICC chief Mrs Sonia Gandhi today urged people to vote the Vajpayee government out of power.

“Every political party must honour the promises made to the people during elections but the BJP failed on all fronts like women’s empowerment, employment generation and clean governance,” she said addressing an election rally at Palampur, here today.

The Congress President said that every political party contested elections to come to power but when they formed the government they must ensure all-round development and prosperity for every section of society without discrimination which the NDA had failed to do. She said unfortunately the people were carried away with tall election promises made by the BJP in 1999 but this time they must not repeat this mistake.

She said the NDA regime was marked by scams and all sections of society including youth, women, farmers and other weaker sections of society, had suffered immensely. “The farmers have had to suffer a lot and some of them under heavy debts committed suicide,” she regretted.

She assured the people that if the Congress formed the government women’s empowerment, employment generation, economic prosperity, uniform development and communal harmony would usherin. “The Vajpayee government failed on all fronts be it fostering communal harmony or providing a clean government,” she said.

Thanking Himachal is for voting the corrupt Dhumal regime out she said the time had come when the same treatment needed to be given to the NDA government. “Who knows better than the Himachal is what martyrdom was and their sentiments are bound to be hurt when the government is accused of taking commission even in the purchase of coffins for the martyrs,” she said.

Mrs Gandhi, said that the five year Dhumal regime in Himachal was full of political vendetta, corruption and discrimination in development.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that the larger than life image created of BJP leader Shanta Kumar was nothing more than a myth as the Congress had defeated him thrice in the Assembly elections and once in parliamentary polls. “It could be the opinion of BJP workers and Mr Shanta Kumar that he would win the election but not of the electorate,” he remarked

HPCC chief Mrs Vidya Stokes and Congress candidate Chander Kumar also addressed the gathering. Rajya Sabha member and AICC spokesperson Anand Sharma and former minister, Mr Sukh Ram were also present.

Rakesh Lohumi adds from Bilaspur: Mrs Sonia Gandhi has charged the Vajpayee government with handing out step-motherly treatment to the Opposition-ruled states and assured that her party would not discriminate against state regimes on political considerations.

Addressing a massive election meeting here on Monday, she said in a democratic set-up, parties fought the elections on the basis of their own programmes policies and ideology, however, once a party formed a government, it was its bounden duty to work for the uplift of the country.

She said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had done nothing to maintain the central-state relations.

Striking an emotional chord, she said the hill state and its people had a special relationship with the Nehru family. She said she would follow the footsteps of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi who had a special consideration for the state.

The policies of the NDA had aggravated the problem of unemployment and created more problems for farmers. The poor were reeling under the impact of rising prices and women were finding it difficult to manage their households, she said.

Lambasting the NDA regime for its failures, she did not forget to touch the local issues. She said on being voted to power, the Congress would settle the issues like the rehabilitation of Bhakra Dam oustees and one rank, one pension.

It was by all accounts an impressive rally in which women turned out in strength. Mrs Gandhi was uncharacteristically fluent in her speech.

Earlier, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the NDA government had failed to safeguard the frontiers of the country.

Power panel’s direction to board
Our Legal Correspondent

Shimla, May 3
In a significant order, the state electricity regulatory commission has said that the state electricity board is under an obligation to provide power to the consumers within 30 days as per the Electricity Act, 2003.

The commission Chairman, Mr S.S. Gupta, while deciding the complaint filed by Mr Mohit Chaudhary held that: “Clause 2(c) of the sales circular number 204 dated November 30, 1994, is invalid and inoperative and has no force of law because it is inconsistent with the provision of Section 43 of the Act.

As per the circular, no objection certificate is required to be submitted to the Municipal Corporation and the Town and Country Planning Department for the electricity connection. After this order, the board has to provide electricity to those persons who have applied but they have not been provided connection.