 |
|
Water shortage in Hamirpur dist
Fewer opt for commerce stream
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three killed in road accident
Alert sounded as prisoner escapes
Falling stones pose danger to motorists
2 killed in road mishap
Cop found dead
2 boys killed as jeep falls into khud
1 killed, 4 injured
in accident
Liquor seized
|
|
55 to 60 pc polling in Himachal
Shimla, May 10 The turnout was heavy in the Mandi constituency where 62 to 65 per cent of the electorate cast votes. It was low in the Shimla (Reserved) constituency with only 52 to 55 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise. In the Shimla constituency, heavy polling was recorded in Rohru. The turnout was moderate in the Hamirpur and Kangra constituencies with 58 to 60 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise. The voting began on a dull note and only 15 per cent votes were polled in the first three hours. It picked up gradually as the day progressed. Women turned out in strength in the rural areas of Kangra, Una and Hamirpur. There were minor hiccups as electronic voting machines developed snags at some places, including Chetru, Jaswan and Dharamsala. The election department maintained that these were operational snags and there were no real problems. However, at one of the polling booths the EVM had to be replaced at Jaswan after 55 votes were cast. Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, and his wife Pratibha Singh, Congress candidate from Mandi, were among the first few to cast their vote at Rampur. Mr Shanta Kumar, former Union Minister and BJP candidate from Kangra, cast his vote in Palampur, while former Chief Minster P.K. Dhumal, exercised his franchise at Samirpur in Bamsen. In the Kaza region of the Lahual and Spiti district, women voters outnumbered men in all 26 polling stations. As many as 67 per cent of women voters cast their votes as against 57 men. In Sarhan polling station of Kumarsain, people boycotted poll in protest against the failure of the government to solve their problems related to drinking water supply and
roads. In Kulu district also the people of Khalera village stayed away from polling stations to express their indifference. The EVMs will be brought to 20 designated places where 37 counting centres have been set up. The EVMs from seven polling stations of the landlocked Dodra Kawar area will be airlifted to Shimla. SOLAN: The polling was marked with allegations of organised rigging by the BJP in the form of deletion of at least 6,000 voters from the list in the district, and a low turnout here. The BJP MLA, Dr Rajiv Bindal, alleging that the names of BJP loyalists had been deleted from the lists, demanded repoll in the Solan Vidhan Sabha constituency. Former MLA and Congress leader Krishna Mohini who met a number of voters whose names were found missing from the lists demanded a repoll in the Solan constituency. A resident, Narneet Singh, said despite producing his PAN card, his family was not allowed to vote. An elderly couple had to spend hours to locate their names in a polling booth here after the names were found missing from the original list. Mr Arvind Gupta, general secretary of the District Congress Committee, alleged that they purchase the list from the election tehsildar at a payment of Rs 300 this morning but many names were missing from the list. This list was usually available free of cost. This was violation of the model code of conduct as parties displayed publicity material less than 100 meters from polling booths. Deputy Commissioner-cum-returning officer Rajesh Kumar confirmed that some complaints were received and said they were being looked into. An EVM which developed a technical fault at Nauhal polling booth near Kunihaar had to be replaced, affecting the polling for half hour. KANGRA: Former Union Minister and BJP candidate from Kangra, Mr Shanta Kumar, has demanded repoll in the Bulander polling station of the Thural assembly constituency as the presiding officer was under the influence of the liquor till 10.00 am. Mr Shanta Kumar said the presiding officer was under the influence of liquor for the first three hours of polling and was medically examined. He was replaced later. Mr Kumar also demanded an inquiry into the alleged manhandling of a polling agent at Nalaid polling station in Chamba district. He alleged that he was manhandled by Congress workers when the polling was in progress. HAMIRPUR: Moderate to heavy polling (55 to 60 per cent was recorded in all five Assembly segments of this district. Polling which started on a brisk note became dull as the day advanced due to hot wave conditions prevailing in the area, according to Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar. Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was among those who exercised their right of franchise early in the morning. He cast his vote at Samirpur polling station along with other members of his family. Twelve blind persons and three octogenarians — Prasinno Devi of Mundkhar village, Sarni Devi of Mundkhar and Krishni Devi of Kamera village — exercised their right of franchise. Reports from interiors of the district said several people who were without photo-identity cards failed to exercise their franchise. However, at other places, polling staff did not see the identity cards. Under rules, either the identity cards or other identification cards are needed for casting vote. At Samirpur polling station, Prabhi Devi (97) came to the polling station armed with a stick and accompanied by her two sons. She said God had given her time to case vote. She, however, refused to say whom she was going to vote. The SP, Mr, P.L. Thakur, claimed that the polling passed off peacefully in all parts of the district. Dharamsala: Low turnout marked the end of voting in the Kangra parliamentary constituency. About 55 per cent polling has been reported in the constituency though home towns of former Union Minister Shanta Kumar (Palampur) and Forest Minister Chander Kumar witnessed around 60 per cent polling. According to the returning officer, Dr Shrikant Baldi, barring some minor complaints, no untoward incident had been reported from the district. He said some EVMs developed a snag and they were replaced at Jwalamukhi and Jaswan in the Hamirpur constituency and at Chetru and Dari. A report was received about polling officers of Bhulinder polling station of the Thural Vidhan Sabha segment being under the influence of liquor. A naib tehsildar was sent to the polling station and the officials were replaced and got medically examined. Disciplinary action will be taken against them. SUNDERNAGAR: The polling percentage ranged between 50 to 55 per cent at Sundernagar and in the adjoining assembly segments of Nachan, Balh and Chachiot. The polling started at 7 a.m. and there was a lot of rush. Many old persons exercised their franchise. Mrs Devki (103) cast her vote. She was brought to the polling station by her daughter-in-law, her son and her grandson. At Jai Devi, Dilu Ram, 90, a blind cast his vote with the help of his son. At the polling station in Chowki, Harisaran (85) was seen casting his vote alone. In the rural area the polling speed was high in the morning while it was high in the afternoon in the urban areas. The services of water-carriers were used throughout the Mandi parliamentary constituency and hundreds of water-carriers were put on duty at each polling station. They were, however, not given any daily allowance. Representatives of the water-carriers appealed to the Election Commission to order the authorities to pay the daily allowance on a par with other employees. Bilaspur: Polling was peaceful in all 330 polling stations in this district. An estimated 60-65 per cent polling has been recorded. Since both main contenders, Industries Minister Ramlal Thakur and BJP candidate Suresh Chandel belong to Katkehloor and Bilaspur Sadar Assembly segments, respectively, both of them, along with their wives voted at their native villages. Mrs Purshottmudevi (84) widow of a freedom fighter and a former minister, Daulatram Sankhayayan, walked to the polling station from Jukhala to cast her vote. Though polling started on a dull note in the village areas, there were long queues at polling stations in Bilaspur. Despite the claims of the state chief electoral officer that photo-identity cards were essential for casting the vote, it was the voter list which was the criterion. Several voters complained that they were not allowed to vote because their names did not exist on the voters list, even though they possessed photo-identity cards. Santram could not vote along with his son and daughter-in-law as their names were not on the list, though they possessed photo-identity cards. A retired CRPF commandant, R.P. Gautam and his son voted, his wife and daughter-in-law could not vote as their names were not on the list. Latakumari was disappointed as she was not allowed to vote as somebody else had cast vote on her name. UNA: Polling began on a low key here. According to official figures, up to 9 am, the Una, Chintpurni and Kutlehar constituencies recorded only 11 per cent voting. The polling was peaceful throughout the district. From Gagret, Mr Balbir Chaudhary, state secretary of the BJP, alleged that in Nangal Jariala polling booth, Congress supporters burned flags and banners of the BJP and threatened the presiding officer there. Mr Kuldip Kumar, MLA and Minister for Cooperation, however, said no such incident had occurred. Presiding officers did not press for the identity cards when gram panchayat pardhans or polling agents identified the voters but Congress and BJP supporters said more than two dozen voters had returned without casting their votes even though their names figured on the voters’ list for want of identity documents. According to information received from Gagret, 110-year-old woman, Ram Piari, cast her vote. PALAMPUR: Over 60 per cent voters in the five assembly segments of Palampur region exercised their franchise. In the early hours the turnout was poor but it picked up later. In many polling stations, women outnumbered men. In Raj Gir, Sulaha and Baijnath, long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations. At Chadihar, a 91-year-old man was carried by his son on his shoulder to caste vote. In the urban areas, the polling percentage was low but in rural areas, there was great enthusiasm among the voters. Mr K.C. Chaman, assistant returning officer, said the polling in all 221 stations remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported. MANDI: Nearly 63 per cent of the people turned out to cast their vote in this parliamentary constituency. Women outnumbered men at polling booths. The highest percentage of 85 was reported from the Dharampur constituency of this district. The tribal belts also recorded high polling percentage compared to other segments. Polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of this constituency. NAHAN: Polling went off peacefully in all 445 polling booths of the district. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the district. About 57 per cent voters exercised their franchise. The lowest turnout has been at 50 per cent in the Nahan assembly segment. In Paonta assembly segment, about 60 per cent turnout was recorded. Nahan district headquarters was comparatively low but enthusiasm was witnessed among rural voters. A 100-year-old woman, Chandni Devi, cast her vote at Deedag polling station near Rajgarh in the Pacchad assembly segment. An EVM had to be replaced at Misserwala, under the Paonta assembly segment. |
|
Villagers boycott poll in protest
Nahan, May 10 Mr Guman Singh, general secretary, Nav Yuvak Mandal, and Mrs Shanti Devi, president, Mahila Mandal, said the boycott was complete as none of the 133 voters of the village exercised their franchise at the Tikkar polling booth. They said the decision to boycott the poll was taken two days ago. They said school started functioning in the village about seven years ago, but was transferred to Sanag village, having about five families only last year. They said Kolwa had 26 families and claimed that a primary school was sanctioned by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, for the village as 56 students were studying in the school when it was shifted, but his orders were not implemented by the department concerned, they added. They alleged that due to indifferent attitude of the Education Department, 34 students of the village could not appear in the annual examination this year. They said the villagers had donated the land for the building of the school and now it was lying vacant. |
|
Bride votes before leaving for in-laws’ house
Hamirpur, May 10 Hailing from Anoo area of Hamirpur and third in the family of nine of Mr I.S. Rana, she opted to vote first than go to her in-laws’ house this morning. She went to the Hiranagar polling station along with her brother. She said it was a wonderful day for her and it was a marriage gift for her to come before the cameras while casting her vote. She refused to say whom she voted for but said she was sure that her vote would not go waste. After casting her vote, she left for her in-laws’ house. |
|
Water shortage in Hamirpur dist
Hamirpur, May 10 Reports from the interior parts of the district say that century-old water sources have dried up. The worst affected are the people of the upper Bamsan area and a part of the Mewa area in the district. The failure of the Neri Chamboh water supply scheme has put them in great difficultly. They are forced to go to the nearby Bajroh area carrying pitchers and buckets to fetch water for them selves as well as their animals. In schools in the upper Bamsan area there is no water for students. A spokesman for the Department of Irrigation and Public Health admitted that there was an acute shortage of water in the Chamboh area in the district. He attributed this to the failure of a scheme due to a fall in the level of the water table. He said the department was aware of the situation and was doing its best to provide potable water. The situation in the town is also far from satisfactory. Those living on the first floor and above are the worst hit. Mr Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said 243 villages had been identified in the district where water would be supplied through tankers. He said the department was seized of the problem and water would be supplied in the scarcity-hit areas with the help of tankers. |
|
Fewer opt for commerce stream
Kangra, May 10 Mr
S.K.Sharma, Principal of the MCM DAV College, yesterday expressed concern over the state of affairs and said the Himachal Pradesh University in compliance with guidelines of the University Grants Commission, while ordering implementation of the new syllabus at the
undergraduate level in commerce has prescribed mathematics as one of the compulsory papers for B.Com (I) under the title “Business Mathematics”. He said that eligibility conditions for admission to B.Com I, interalia , stipulate that a candidate seeking admission to B.Com I must have passed Plus two examination in Commerce with minimum 40 per cent marks or in arts with Economics or Mathematics as one of the subjects with 45 per cent marks. Mr Sharma said that the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, which conducts Plus two examination provides mathematics as fifth subject for Commerce students with alternatives of Physical Education or Information Technology etc. He said that number of the students passing Plus two in Arts with mathematics is negligible. He said that students of B.Com (I), majority of whom have not studied mathematics at Plus two level face great difficulty in coping with this compulsory paper and thus many fail in this subject. Mr Sharma said that this had resulted in fall in the number of the admission seekers to B.Com I which virtually was leading to the closure of this important wing of the educational system. He said that MCM DAV College management, has proposed remedial class in mathematics for 45 days, free of cost, from May 14, for the students who have appeared in Plus two Commerce or Arts with economics, specially SC / ST and women candidates to prepare them to take up mathematics in B.Com (I). |
|
Chamba, May 10 The police identified the deceased as Goverdhan Singh, Surender Bhandari and Shashi Pal. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their kin after a post-mortem examination. Mr J.S. Rana, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dalhousie, said Vijay Kumar, who is stated to be in a critical condition, had been referred from Dalhousie to a hospital at Pathankot for treatment. He said these tourists belonged to Hoshiarpur and were on their way to Dalhousie. The police has registered a case and is investigating.
— UNI |
Alert sounded as prisoner escapes
Chamba, May 10 An alert has been sounded all over the state and checkpoints on the borders of Chamba district, adjoining Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, have been sealed. According to reports here today, Baljinder Singh, resident of Ludhiana, was being brought from Ludhiana where he had been sent to appear in a court for his involvement in a case. Sources said the prisoner had already been convicted of smuggling charas and sentenced for rigorous imprisonment sometime ago and was put in the district
jail. |
Falling stones pose danger to motorists
Kumarhatti, May 10 In the past stones have hit the crossing vehicles. Ironically no caution sign has been set up at the site to alert the motorists. What makes the matter worse was that in some cases the falling stone rolls down on another link road. The big stones were noticed rolling down the hill when this correspondent visited the site last evening. |
2 killed in road mishap
Hamirpur, May 10 The police said the barat of Kalidas Saini, a resident of Maudaha, was going in the bus when the driver lost control of the vehicle near a steep turn. The vehicle overturned, falling into a deep ditch. The deceased have been identified as Rais Ahmed and Pappu, the police said adding that the injured had been hospitalised. A hunt was on for the bus driver, who is at large. — UNI |
|
Cop found dead
Shimla, May 10 According to the police, he had gone to his village on leave. He probably fell down from a precipitous hill while returning home last night and died on the spot. The exact cause of death will be known after a post-mortem. |
|
2 boys killed as jeep falls into khud
Shimla, May 10 According to the police, the boys had taken away the vehicle, belonging to the Tourism Department, for a joyride. The vehicle was parked in the Sanjauli bazar. |
1 killed, 4 injured
in accident
Hamirpur, May 10 The injured have been admitted to hospital. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, the police said. Praveen Kumar succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. |
|
Liquor seized
Hamirpur, May 10 The SP, Hamirpur, Mr P.L.Thakur, said here today that 84 bottles of liquor were seized from a jeep. The driver fled the scene after alighting from the vehicle. The police impounded the vehicle. In another incident, the police seized 20 bottles of liquor and arrested Vijay Kumar at Kehdroo village. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
