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Drive to recruit disabled in Himachal
Chilly weather halts Sino-Indian trade through Shipkila
Body of 36-yr-old found Local industry hit by high
rosin rates CITU decries contract system
53 file papers for four Zila Parishad seats
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One killed, 6 hurt in mishaps
Information Act will ‘bring’ transparency
New Addl
HC judge
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Drive to recruit disabled in Himachal
Shimla, December 3 He was speaking at the state-level function organised here today to observe International Disabled Day. “The state government is providing 3 per cent reservation to the disabled persons in government and public sector undertakings,” he said. He said the government was making all possible efforts to ensure that these people get employment and can lead a better life. He added that all possible efforts were being made to fill the backlog of vacancies from the eligible candidates. The Chief Minister said apart from providing reservation to the disabled persons, they were being given free education up to graduation level along with pension for handicapped persons. He said the other government schemes, providing financial assistance for the welfare of the disabled persons included rehabilitation allowance to the lepers, subsidy for self-employment ventures, scholarships to the students, artificial limbs and marriage grant. He said the state government had earmarked almost half of its annual budgetary provisions for the social welfare sector with a view to providing better security cover to the underprivileged sections of society. “Out of a total of 64,772 physically challenged persons, 40,613 persons have been given identity cards for handicap and the left out persons will also be given this facility,” he said. He said the government had constituted medical boards at the district level so that the physically disabled persons could be identified and extended all possible help. “During the last two years itself 18,103 new disabled persons have been included in the list of beneficiaries and Rs 9.12 crore disbursed as social security pension,” he informed. He said a vocational rehabilitation centre had been sanctioned for Una so that different skills could be imparted to the disabled person to enable them earn a livelihood. He distributed wheelchairs and hearing aids to poor and needy persons.
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Chilly weather halts Sino-Indian trade through Shipkila
Reckong Peo, December 3 Capt J.M. Pathania (retd.), officiating District Magistrate of Kinnaur, said the trade between both the countries had commenced from June 1 this year. Since, the severe cold weather conditions did not favour carrying out trade through this land route, therefore, it was mandatory to stop the further progress of trade during the winter season, he said. The orders of resumption of trade between both the nations would be issued later probably in the mid of next year by the district administration keeping in view of the favourable weather conditions, he added. The items allowed for export through Shipkila are agricultural implements, blankets, copper products, clothes, textiles, cycles, coffee, tea, barley, rice, flour, dry fruit, dry and fresh vegetables, vegetable oil, gur and misri, tobacco, snuff, cigarettes, canned food, agro-chemical, local herbs, dyes, spices, watches, shoes, kerosene oil, stationery, utensils, wheat etc. On the other hand, major items of import from China via Tibet include raw silk, goats, sheep, china clay, wool, utensils, textiles (mostly readymade garments), shoes etc. When contacted, an official of the Customs Department based at land customs station Shipkila (Namgia village) revealed to The Tribune that the total value of the import till November 30 this year was estimated at Rs 2.28 crore as against the total exports of just Rs 12.5 lakh. The value of trade between both the nations was comparatively less this year than the previous years probably because of the unfavorable conditions posed by the flash floods in the Sutlej and its tributaries Spiti and Baspa rivulets in the last week of June, this year. The border trade with China was resumed following the signing of an MoU on Resumption of Border Trade through Shipkila Pass in September, 1993. Accordingly, the border trade between India and China was being conducted through Namgya Shipkila in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh along the Namgya-Shipkila-Shipki Jijubu land route. The Union Government has asked the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to construct a double-lane metalled road from the nearest point on the NH-22 to Shipkila the last post falling in Namgia village.
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Body of 36-yr-old found Reckong Peo, December 3 The police had sent it for postmortem, the report of which was awaited at the time of filing this report. The deceased has been identified as O.P. Negi (36), a resident of Duni village. The exact cause of his death were not yet ascertained but it was believed that he was driving a Maruti car when the car accidentally fell from the roadside into the river. However, he jumped out of the vehicle in a bid to save his life but unfortunately succumbed to injuries. Unconfirmed reports also reveal that there were two women along with him in the car when he met with the accident. The police was still probing into the matter. The police after initiating inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC was probing into the incident.
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Local industry hit by high
rosin rates Solan, December 3 This rate has also become applicable to the rosin purchased by the local traders in the past one month when the corporation had suspended its open sale. The industrialists lamented that the corporation had now withheld further sale of rosin till the earlier payments were cleared. Terming this decision as inimical to the interests of the local industry, a delegation of the local industrialists was now contemplating to move court if no respite was give to them. They rued that payments running into lakhs had become due which had made their final product much costlier. The corporation had earlier taken a written undertaking from the local buyers that the rates would be as per the auctioned prices. Alleging that the same buyers had bid in the auction who were also the regular buyers of rosin, the industrialists said the rates were deliberately jacked up by them. While this would make the market uneconomical for the small entrepreneurs, it would only lead to the bigger traders stocking up the material to sell it at higher rates later. Baddi-based Dev Resins Private Limited has alleged being threatened by a Mumbai-based firm who openly challenged to eliminate the local traders by first jacking up the prices and later bringing them down to uneconomical levels. The unit has now sent a written complaint to the senior forest officials to check such miscreants in the future auctions. Another Paonta-based unit while echoing similar sentiments said they would take up the issue of according the local units a 15 per cent price preference as laid down in the state industrial policy. The senior officials of the State Forest Corporation said though the rates had been enhanced by about 30 per cent but it remained to be seen what long-term gains could the corporation make through such auctions. He confirmed that the department had received complaints of the local traders where they had alleged being threatened. He assured that such unruly behaviour would not be allowed to prevail in the subsequent auctions. A section of industrialists who met the forest secretary said they had received an assurance from the
government that their interests would be watched. It remained to be seen what steps were taken, they added. |
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CITU decries contract system Baddi, December 3 Talking to Chandigarh Tribune here today, he said even as law prohibited engagement of contractor labour in industries, the situation was becoming grimmer with the each passing day as a majority of new appointments was being done through contract. He said Section 10 of the Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970, prohibited the employment of labour on contract in manufacturing units. The Act only allowed engagement of temporary labour in loading, unloading and construction work besides few relaxations in law subjected to meeting of some criteria in engaging HP youth in units, he pointed. Over 90 per cent of the workforce in industrial belt was through contracts, alleged Mr Ranot, who was also president of the Solan district. The management and state government were hand in glove in exploiting the worker blamed CITU leader. There was widespread resentment in workforce, he rued. The state government should prohibit the contract system in industries, he demanded. The exploitation of workers had crossed all limits and those who raised voice for their right was shown doors, he pointed. As per law the minimum monthly wages for 8 hours work was Rs 2200 however in reality workers were getting Rs 2200 for 12 hours work, he said. The employer paid Rs 2200 to contractor who forced workers to work for 4 hour extra, he blamed. No other benefits were being given to workers, he said. It was a total anarchy in industrial belt as management- labour department and contractor nexus had crippled the system, he alleged. Besides contract, some 20 per cent of a total labour force of over 50,000 working in the Baddi area was employed through benami records in different units, he alleged. This was being done allegedly to deprive the workers of the EPF and ESI benefits, he said. The labourers were not recorded in attendance registers or wages registers. The law of minimum wages was thus being flouted, he maintained. |
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53 file papers for four Zila Parishad seats
Nurpur, December 3 Meanwhile, nine candidates in the local Municipal Council elections have filed their nominations in the second day of the filing of nominations. According to an official information, three candidates filed papers in ward number three, two candidates each in ward number two and seven, whereas only one candidate filed nomination in ward number one. Ms Shashi Mahajan, the sister-in-law of local MLA and Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan filed her nomination in ward number two, the native ward of Mr Mahajan. On this occasion, the latter also accompanied her while filing the papers before the Subdivisional Magistrate, Nurpur.
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One killed, 6 hurt in mishaps
Kumarhatti, December 3 In a head-on collision between a motor cycle (HP-14-9821) and a scooter (CH-01-3987) on Manpura National Highway, five persons sustained serious injuries. The accident took place at around 10.30 pm. A passerby motorist noticed the injured and informed the police. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Nalagarh. Later, they were rushed to the PGI, Chandigarh. One of the injured died at PGI on Friday, confirmed the police. The condition of other four was stated to be serious. In another accident, two persons sustained injuries when their motor cycle (HP-12A-2240) skid near Bruna. The injured — Bijender Singh and Satnam — were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Nalagarh. A case was registered.
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Information Act will ‘bring’ transparency
Shimla, December 3 Presiding over a workshop organised by the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration here yesterday to educate Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, head of the departments and other senior officers about the Act, he said the government would soon finalise rules and fee structure under the Act. The act had come in to force from October 12, 2005 throughout the country, except Jammu and Kashmir. He underlined the need to organise such workshops at district level to acquaint officers and field officers with the provision of the act. He directed the heads of department to organise workshops at various levels. Mr Suthanu Behuria, Financial Commissioner, gave details of the provisions of the act. While Mr Parbodh Saxena, Secretary Home, gave the presentation on Right to Information Act. He said the below poverty line (BPL) families had been exempted from paying fee for getting information. He said there were 16 mandatory provisions under the Act. All public authorities were required to maintain all its records duly cataloged and indexed in a manner to ensure easy availability of information. He stressed the need to develop and organise educational programmes to enhance the understanding of the public particularly the disadvantaged communities, so that they could take its advantage. Mr Ajay Mittal, director of the institute , said that departments should prepare data and other information in advance so that it could be supplied in a bound manner.
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New Addl HC judge Shimla, December 3 The Chief Justice, Mr
V.K. Gupta, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mrs Abhilasha Kumari. |
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