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PCC leaves choice of state party chief to Sonia
BJP to launch statewide protest against Cong govt
Centre ‘flouted’ norms
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Central package, a boost for industrial growth
BSNL subscribers find CBSE site blocked
HP matric results tomorrow
Governor felicitates Buddhist community
Balloon scare in village
UK varsity to enrol Indian students
Two killed as truck falls into gorge
Bus falls into khud, 4 hurt
Two deaths in Nahan
‘Jo Bole So ...’ goes off screens
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PCC leaves choice of state party chief to Sonia
Shimla, May 23 The much-awaited meeting of the PCC delegates ended within minutes after unanimously adopting a single-line resolution requesting Mrs Gandhi to nominate the new party chief and also the AICC delegates from the state. The resolution was moved by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, and supported by Mrs Vidya Stokes, Mr Sat Mahajan, Mr Gian Chand Tutu and Mr K.D. Sultanpuri, all former PCC presidents. Mr K.C. Lenka, Chairperson of the state election authority for the Congress organisational poll, set the ball rolling by referring to the established party tradition of leaving such important matters to the party high command. He said the process of elections had been completed and elected party units had been put in place at the block and district levels. There could be several deserving candidates for the top post but it would be in the overall interest of the party to authorise the national party president to nominate the new incumbent. His advice was well-received and Mr Virbhadra Singh immediately moved the single-line resolution authorising Mrs Gandhi to nominate the new PCC chief. Mr Lenka said that with the constitution of new PCC, the old body stood dissolved. However, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, PCC chief, will continue to function until the new president was appointed which could take about a week. The scene has now shifted to the national Capital with Mr Virbhadra Singh leaving for Delhi along with Mr Lenka soon after the meeting. Mrs Vidya Stokes, leader of the rival camp, also left for Delhi. Most of the ministers and PCC delegates are also expected to reach Delhi by May 25. The central leadership will ascertain the views of all leaders and the delegates before taking a decision. The ball is in the court of Mrs Gandhi who has to make the final choice. Besides Mr Kuldeep Kumar, the Industries Minister who replaced Mrs Stokes as the PCC chief only a few months ago, Mrs Viplove Thakur, Mr B.B. Butail, Major Vijay Mankotia, Mrs Chandresh Kumari and Mr Chander Kumar are in the contention. The Virbhadra Singh camp is keen on continuation of Mr Kuldeep Kumar but he has been reluctant as he could lose the ministerial berth under the one-man-one- post principle. Mr Chander Kumar, who comes from the politically significant other backward classes, and Mr Butail were the other two candidates from the camp. The choice could fall on Mrs Viplove Thakur or Mrs Chandresh Kumari if the partly high command decides to entrust the job to a woman. |
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BJP to launch statewide protest against Cong govt
Palampur, May 23 This was disclosed by Mr Shanta Kumar, former Union Minister, and Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, while addressing a joint press conference at the press club here today. Both leaders said the Congress government had failed on all fronts during the past two years and every section of society, including farmers, fruit growers and government employees, had got fed up with its anti-people policies. They said the Budget passed by the state Assembly had given a heavy dose of taxes which had not spared even the common man. They said corruption was rampant in the state and the government had failed to check the same. The development activities in the state had come to a standstill as the government had no funds even to complete the on-going projects. Criticising the government decision to buy luxury cars for the ministers and parliamentary secretaries, they said on the one side the government was imposing, heavy taxes on the common man on the other the money collected from such taxes was being spent on the comforts of ministers. While attacking the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, they said despite the fact that there was a UPA government in the Centre, the Chief Minister had failed to get a financial package for the state. Later, both leaders denied the press reports that there were differences between both leaders on certain political issues. They said for the past six months they had been sharing the stage on many political gatherings and had already clarified that the BJP was acting as united Opposition against the anti-farmers and anti-people policies of the government. Referring to the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly, they said this was a highly undemocratic step of the UPA government. They said the NDA had already the support of 130 MLAs and it was staking its claim to form the government. They alleged that the UPA government was misusing the office of the Governor for its political gains which would cost it heavily in the next Assembly elections in Bihar. |
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Centre ‘flouted’ norms
Shimla, May 23 The Chief Minister, it is learnt, has in a written communication to the Union Minister pointed out that grant of environmental clearance without the recommendation of the state was not only against the established norms but also involved the sensitive issue of the Centre -state relations. He asserted that the state was keen that hydroelectric projects were executed expeditiously but it did not want the mistakes of the past, which resulted in unending misery to the local people, to be repeated. After all the issues concerning the people who bear the brunt of the environmental fall out of big projects have to be taken care of. The mechanism to grant environmental clearance after conducting a public hearing and ascertaining the views of the state government was evolved only to address these concerns. In fact, it was spawned by an assurance given in the Lok Sabha, he pointed out. The public sector undertakings like the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which was executing the two projects, were expected to set the highest environmental standards and not resort to such short cuts. He has expressed his anguish over the fact that the clearance was granted unilaterally to Parbati-II even as the case was at an advanced stage of consideration at the level of the state-level Environment Impact Assessment and Monitoring Committee. In case of Chamera-III, the NHPC had not bothered to respond to the issues raised during the public hearing and by the committee. It was a bad precedent and he apprehended that the independent power producers (IPPs) could take advantage of it and seek environmental clearance without the recommendations of the state in the same manner. Referring to the new policy being framed by the Centre for granting environmental clearance, he stressed that the state’s recommendations should be a “sine qua non” even in case of the projects for which the clearance was to accorded by the Centre alone. He urged the minister to reverse the decision to save the state from a catastrophic environmental fall out. He said that once the case was referred back to the state, the recommendations would be sent without delay. |
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Central package, a boost for industrial growth Parwanoo, May 23 The package designed to increase the industrial growth had attracted 400 new units in the past fiscal. It offers cent per cent outright excise duty exemption for a period of 10 years from the date of the commencement of the commercial production and cent per cent income tax exemption for the period of five years and thereafter 30 per cent for companies and 25 per cent for others besides 15 per cent subsidy in plant and machinery, subject to a ceiling of Rs 30 lakh. The existing units will also be entitled to this subsidy on their substantial expansion, as defined. Out of the 400 registered units half of them have already started functioning. Mr G.S. Chauhan, member secretary, Single Window Clearance Agency of the local Industry Department, said 100 more units would start functioning within six months. Over 6,000 person would get employed. At least 3,000 have already got jobs in units which have started functioning, he added.
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BSNL subscribers find CBSE site blocked
Solan, May 23 Interestingly, the BSNL has also provided the results through its short-message service (SMS). Messages were being received by BSNL cellular subscribers about this facility. The official SMS directed the students to SMS their roll numbers to 6666 for prompt receipt of results. The harassed students, who were unable to get their results through the SMS despite trying several times, rued that the BSNL had deliberately blocked the CBSE site to enable them to make most of this opportunity. Each SMS, which would be charged as per the normal rates, would fetch the BSNL an extra 60 paise. Students expressed doubts that it was a “well-planned ploy” to make some extra buck from this situation. The students who are now awaiting their Class X result tomorrow were also worried at inaccessibility of the site. A section of parents rued that the site had been blocked even last year. A visit to several cyber cafes across the district revealed the same plight as students failed to open the site. Inquires revealed that the Internet protocol number of the CBSE site was displayed as blocked and hidden in the domain name server indicating a “deliberate mischief” by the BSNL. This was further confirmed by the fact that when Internet users
dialed an Internet connection through other service providers like Satyam and HCL they could access the site within no time. Inquires from Sirmaur and Shimla districts also confirmed the fact. The General Manager of Solan Secondary Switching Area, Mr Tajinder Kumar, while denying that the CBSE site had been blocked by the BSNL, said the lack of access was due to a large influx of result seekers. |
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HP matric results tomorrow
Dharamsala, May 23 A spokesman of the board, Ms Anju Pathak, said here today that the results would be available on the board’s
website, hpeducationboard.nic.in and
hpeducationboard.gov.in. She said that the results would also be available on Lokmitra Hamirpur,
IVRS, kousic, e-mail and through SMS on BSNL, Reliance and Airtel mobile networks. Ms Pathak said BSNL mobile customers need write hp 10 space Roll number and SMS to 33/6666 on Reliance phone hp 10 blank space roll number.
— UNI |
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Governor felicitates Buddhist community
Shimla, May 23 The Governor was addressing Buddhist breathern on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti at Tibetan Bodh Vihar here today. He said that the teachings of Lord Buddha were more relevant even in the present-day context. Felicitating the people of the state, especially Buddhist brethren, the Governor expressed happiness that despite many difficulties, the Tibetan society was doing commendable work for the propagation the boddh religion. Mr Tenzin Dorje, vice-president, Indo-Tibetan Maitri Sangh, honoured the Governor with a memento. |
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Balloon scare in village
Mandi, May 23 The eight-foot-long gas-filled balloon was floating in the air and suddenly dropped in the courtyard of Mr Tej Singh when the pressure of gas eased out. Mr Tej Singh, along with his daughter, rushed to the police station where they handed over the balloon to the Station House Officer. On the balloon was printed a photograph of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Pakistani flat and “I love Pakistan”. Along the border was written “dil-Jaan’ in Urdu. The name of the manufacturer was Jadda Plastic Store, Chinniot Bazar, Faislabad. It may be recalled that similar type of balloon were recovered earlier from the area last year. Residents are apprehending that either it was an act of extremists, and now the work of some miscreants residing in the Balh valley who, they alleged, have inclination towards Pakistan.
— PTI |
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UK varsity to enrol Indian students
Shimla, May 23 A team of the college headed by Mr A. Jaffeer Ahamed, business consultant, has already held talks with the three universities in South India and it has Panjab University, Guru Nanak Dev University and Himachal Pradesh University on its priority list. Under the proposed collaboration arrangement, students will be able to complete the first year of a three-year course within the country and than migrate to London for the remaining two-year course. Mr Ahamed said that while the faculty would be brought from London, the study centres to be set up under the collaborative programme would utilise the physical infrastructure of the universities. The first batch of students would be admitted under the proposed programme by September. The college was affiliated to Carmel University in the USA. AIIMS Global Education, the authorised representative of the college in India, would provide free consultancy to applicants for admission, visa and availing bank loans. In case any selected candidate failed to get visa, nothing will be charged from him. |
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Two killed as truck falls into gorge
Nahan, May 23 Residents of Chabahan village found the driver of the truck, Raghubir Singh, dead on the spot. Three seriously injured persons — Gaurav, son of driver Raghubir Singh, Rajesh and Ashwani, all residents of Nahan, were rushed to the district hospital in Nahan. Gaurav, who was in a critical condition was referred to the PGI Chandigarh. He is reportedly still not out of danger. Another injured person Rajesh, died in the Nahan Hospital today while Ashwani of Naya Bazar is getting treatment in the hospital. The injured had suffered multiple injuries. The truck was on way to Nahan from Kumarhatti. The accident occurred when driver could not negotiate a curve near Chabahan Temple. The district administration has given cash relief worth Rs 5000 to the kin of the deceased and Rs. 1,000 to the injured. |
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Bus falls into khud, 4 hurt
Nahan, May 23 According to the passengers the driver of the bus failed to negotiate the curve near Kansiwala. The injured passengers were rushed to Nahan Hospital.
— OC |
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Two deaths in Nahan
Nahan May 23 According to the local police a 28-year-old man, Daman Singh, a resident of Than ki Ser village under Thana Kasoga Panchayat of Nahan tehsil, brought last night in the Nahan hospital where he was declared dead by doctors. Parents of the deceased noticed him lying unconscious in his bedroom. The police recovered a body of an unidentified person from the rain shelter of Bohlio village 13 km from here on Nahan-Paonta road today. According to local residents the deceased, arrived at Bohlio about a week ago. He was not able to speak anything and
he was fed by villagers. |
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‘Jo Bole So ...’ goes off screens
Shimla, May 23 Although there was no panic in the public about the screening of the film in the state, the decision to take it off the theatres was taken voluntarily by cinema owners as a precautionary step.
— UNI |
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