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Govt funds used for Sonia’s rally: BJP
New legislation to curb corruption soon, Renuka Lion Safari overcrowded
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Kangra valley rocked twice
Kargil war hero’s father awaits justice
‘Allotment of land for Cong office in order’
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Govt funds used for Sonia’s rally: BJP
Shimla, November 11 Addressing a press conference, he said it was most unfortunate that despite the blatant use of government funds and resources, Mrs Gandhi did not announce a special financial package for the state. “Whenever any national leader, especially of the ruling party comes to the state, people have a lot of expectations but Mrs Gandhi has disappointed the people of the state,” he said. He said HRTC buses were used for ferrying people to the rally and the show at the Ridge was managed by the Public Relations Department which also placed advertisements. “At a stage when the state is in dire need of a financial package, Mrs Gandhi only added to the woes of the people by burdening the state exchequer as a huge amount was spent on the rally’s arrangements,” he alleged. The BJP chief also lashed out at Mrs Gandhi for having her facts wrong as far as financial assistance to the state during the NDA regime was concerned. “Mrs Gandhi, who accused the BJP of discriminating against Congress-ruled states, should have known that a special package amounting to Rs 1,600 crore was given by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and projects worth Rs 50,000 crore were cleared for Himachal during his tenure,” he said. Instead of announcing a package, the present regime had even diluted the special industrial package announced by Mr Vajpayee for the state, he said. The time limit of the package had been reduced from 2013 to 2007 by the UPA government. He said even during the regime of Mr Narasimha Rao no financial assistance was extended to Himachal. The BJP leader said even the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, instead of raising the demand for getting Himachal its due under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, only showered praises on Mrs Gandhi. |
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New legislation to curb corruption soon, says CM
Shimla, November 11 Stating this, while formally inaugurating the four-day International Lavi Fair at Rampur, today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, said the government was also considering to bring a legislation to vest the property and other assets amassed using unfair means in the government. It would be part of the effort to wipe out corruption and provide a clean administration. He said the government was giving top priority to create new jobs for the unemployed educated youth. He added that more than 21,000 job opportunities had been created in the public sector during the past 20 months and in addition nearly 1.20 lakh jobs had been created in the industrial sector. He said government had also made it mandatory that all the industrial units, including power projects being set up in the state, to provide 70 per cent jobs to Himachalis. The Chief Minister said work would be expedited on Rampur Hydro Electric Project and after its completion, chain of power projects would be launched in the Satluj basin. He said on the analogy of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, Pabbar Valley Corporation had been set up to harness power from the Pabbar river in the Rohru valley. He said work would also be speeded up on the 1000 MW Karchham Wangtoo Hydro Electric Project. He said during the current apple season a record 2.65 crore boxes were exported from the state and the growers were able to transport their produce to the market without any difficulty due to proper arrangements made by the government. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a bridge on the Satluj at Wazir Bouli constructed at a cost of Rs 3.12 crore, a newly constructed ward of an Ayurvedic hospital constructed at a cost of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 20 lakh Tikka Raghunath Bushahr Sadan. |
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Renuka Lion Safari overcrowded
Chandigarh, November 11 At the Renuka Lion Safari, near Nahan, five lions will be released into the enclosure of lionesses next month after sterilising them. On the directions of the Central Zoo Authority
(CZA), seven lions were separated in 2002 to avoid inbreeding and control genetic disorders. The CZA has directed all zoological parks to go in for population control measures to check inbreeding and problems related to the rising population, says Dr Lalit Mohan, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Shimla. Last year, the department carried out vasectomy on two lions. The lion safari, a part of the 402-hectare wildlife sanctuary, is home to eight lions and eight lionesses. One of these is a male cub. On May 23, 1975, a pair of lions was first brought to Renuka from Junagarh in Gujarat. Due to a change in the climatic conditions, Rani died on May 22, 1976, and Raja on October 16, 1975. After that, another pair — Ashok and Gita — was brought here from
Trichur, Kerala, in 1977. Gita gave birth to its first cub in 1980. In 1986, the lions were shifted to the seven-hectare safari. Before that they were kept in a cage. Interestingly, the entire present population of the wildcats at the safari is the progeny of Gita. Their total number at one time was 29. Dr Sushil Sood, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife, Shimla, conducted a study on Renuka lions from 2001 to 2003. “The entire population of lions is the progeny of pure Asiatic lions brought here from the Trichur and Chhat Bir zoos”, says Dr Sood. The problem started in 1991 when a male suffering from bent neck condition was brought here from Chhat Bir. It was involved in breeding till 1998. The genetic abnormality of the male got transferred to its offspring. Between January, 1998, and May, 2000, seven cubs died due to genetic disorders. Dr Sood believes that lions suffering from any physical abnormality should not be used in breeding programmes. Dr
R.S. Kishtwaria of the College of Veterinary Sciences, Palampur, says most zoos are facing the problem of space and funds. The failure of exchange programmes breeds more genetic problems among animals. He says the separation of lions from lionesses for a longer period is also not good as it make their behaviour abnormal. The Renuka safari is also facing the problem of overcrowding of lions. Biologists believe that the area of the safari is adequate for one lion and five lionesses, but not for 16 lions.
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Kangra valley rocked twice
Kangra, November 11 According to a report from Chamba, the entire region of Chamba nestled on the northern aspect of the Dauladhars was also rocked. The Bharmour areas experienced an earthquake at about 7.40 am and the Chamba areas at about 9.55 a.m. The Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Dr Shrikant Baldhi, told The Tribune that the valley experienced two tremors at 7.48 a.m. and 8.20 a.m. The first tremor was measured 4.7 on the Richter scale and the second 4.2. He said that the epicentre of the tremors was measured 32.5 degree latitude north and 76.3 degree longitude east in Chamba. The first tremor was so strong that it rattled the windowpanes and shook the buildings. People came out of their houses in panic for safety. Dr Baldhi said that 25 houses in Uprate village falling under the Kohala panchayat of Kangra subdivision developed cracks. He said that eight blocks of the government quarters in Government Colony at Dharamsala also developed cracks. He said that a wall of the police mess building collapsed. Dr Baldhi said that there was no report of any loss of life from any part of the district. Meanwhile, reports of cracks in 10 houses in Ustaid and Sunaid villages of Nagrota Bagwan were also received. Kangra falls in the seismic zone five and is vulnerable to earthquakes. In 1905 the Kangra valley experienced a devastating earthquake leaving 10,000 people dead and property worth crores damaged. Most of the historical building too were damaged. The SDM of Kangra held a meeting of the officials soon after the tremors today and directed them to get ready for any eventuality. He told the officials to keep ambulances ready. The authorities have asked the municipal committees to sanction building plans only after they fulfilled the conditions for the tremor-resistant construction. |
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Kargil war hero’s father awaits justice
Nurpur, November 11 According to information, Jagjit Singh, the lone bread-earner of the family, had laid down his life in the Mushkoh valley in the Kargil sector during Operation Vijay on September 10, 1999. Under rehabilitation of dependents of Kargil war martyrs, the father of the deceased rifleman was entitled for a petrol station a gas agency. Even after taking the issue of allotment of a petrol pump or a gas agency with the authorities concerned, the desperate father received only promises and assurances for five years. Kashmir Singh got an allotment letter from the DG (R),
R.K. Puram, New Delhi, last month and was asked to run a petrol station of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. at Ganj Didwana village in Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, which is about 800 km from his village. In his memorandum submitted to the President through e-mail, he pleaded that due to his old age it was impossible to run petrol station at such a distant place. He rued that the other dependents of Kargil war heroes of Himachal Pradesh had been allotted gas agencies and petrol stations at the convenient places within their state, but in his case injustice had been done by allotting a petrol station at distant place. He urged the President to intervene and get him allotted a petrol station or a gas agency within his own state. |
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‘Allotment of land for Cong office in order’
Shimla, November 11 Addressing a press conference here today, he said no irregularity had been committed in leasing out the land for which there was provision under the law. It was the BJP government at the Centre and in the state which favoured the various outfits of the RSS by allotting land in violation of rules. He said the unprecedented rally of Mrs Sonia Gandhi had been a great success as she gave a categorical assurance that the state would get all possible assistance from the Centre for accelerating the pace of development. Referring to the suspension of Ms Uma Bharati, a senior BJP leader, Mr Rathore said that the “party with difference” was in fact “party with differences” and was heading towards disintegration. The state of the BJP was no better in Himachal Pradesh and it was a house divided . |
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Man sentenced to 10 years’ RI
Solan, November 11 He also sentenced him to an additional term of two years in case of default of fine. Naresh Kumar was nabbed by a team of the Narcotics Control Bureau on January 12 which had laid a naka in the Parwanoo area. A case was later registered under the NDPS
Act. |
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