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Majority seats go to Cong-backed candidates
Cong wins in Nalagarh MC poll
Irregularities in counting of
votes alleged
12 poll duty officials suspended
Panchayat members to get honorarium
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BJP levelling baseless charges: Chauhan
CM sees decline in BJP’s popularity
Lobbying on for Hamirpur seat after Chandel’s suspension
Optimum use of MP funds lacking
Tremors in Kangra valley
Accused in student’s
rape case held
Shimla teems with Christmas revellers
Fiscal uncertainty in Nauni varsity
Dhaba owner, servant crushed to death
Jail inmates call off fast
Punish tainted MPs, say fasting jail inmates
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Majority seats go to Cong-backed candidates
Nahan, December 25 Sirmaur has 17 zila parishad wards. Congress-supported candidates have won 13 seats. The BJP could register win in Nohra Dhar ward of the Renuka Assembly constituency from where Kamal Raj was declared winner, while Daval Piari of the BJP won the Bagpashog seat in the Pacchad Assembly constituency. The BJP won two seats in the Paonta Assembly constituency. The Congress has got a clear majority in Shillai, Sangrah, Rajgarh and Nahan panchayat samitis, while BJP leaders were claiming their upper hand in Pacchad and Paonta panchayat samitis. Candidates supported by the Congress have got a clear majority in the Paonta municipal committee. In the Nahan municipal committee elections the Congress has won six, the BJP four, the Lok Jan Shakti Party supported candidates two and one seat has won by an Independent candidate out of the 13 seats of the committee. In the Rajgarh nagar panchayat elections the Congress-supported candidates have won four seats. BILASPUR: The Congress has virtually toppled the BJP in Bilaspur nagar parishad elections and is all set to take over the reins of the Bilaspur nagar parishad as it has won five seats out of the 11 seats, while two Independents, who have won, are also expected to join the Congress ranks. The BJP, which earlier had six members and had its own president, has this time won only four seats. CHAMBA: The Himachal Pradesh Animal Husbandry and Urban Development Minister, Mr Harsh Mahajan, on Sunday claimed that the Congress had swept the poll of Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) and civic bodies in Chamba district. Talking to reporters here, Mr Mahajan said the Congress captured 36 out of 39 panchayats in the Chamba constituency. Similarly, out of 11 seats, the Congress won 10 in the municipal council. In the zila parishad, 11 out of 17 seats were won by the Congress, while 74 out of 121 seats in panchayat samitis in the district were grabbed by the Congress and 15 went to the like-minded parties, Mr Mahajan maintained. KUMARHATTI: As per the results declared for 19 panchayats under Dharampur block only one former pradhan has retained his seat. Nine women have won the pradhan post. Out of the 38 panchayats in the block, the poll to 12 panchayats would be held tomorrow. The seven panchayats — Bansar, Kot, Surajpur, Pratha, Krishangarh, Barotiwala and Chammu — were elected unopposed. No polling was held in the Mandhala panchayat due to boycott of election by villagers. BJP-supported Dooni Chand from the Jabli panchayat has recaptured the pradhan post. From Dharampur panchayat, former pradhan Ashok Gupta was declared winner for as pradhan. PALAMPUR: The Congress-backed candidates won four seats out of seven in the local municipal council elections which concluded on Saturday night. Thakur Balwant Singh, Mr Ajit Bagla, Mr Sanjay Kumar and Mr Yash Mahajan were supported by Mr B.B.L. Butail, local MLA. While the other two candidates, Mrs Mamta and Ms Menakshi Sood, were supported by the BJP, Mrs Shama Sahani had contested the election without the support of any political party. Thakur Balwant Singh, a senior Congress leader and staunch supporter of Mr Butail, was likely to be elected as president of the municipal council. SUNDERNAGAR: The Congress-supported candidates won a majority of seats in the municipal council elections held on Saturday. In the 13-member municipal council, the Congress won seven seats out of 13, the BJP-backed candidates won rest of the six seats. Nanak Chand, Harinder Sen, Kamal Kishore, Hement Sharma, Jitender Sharma, Sunita, Lalit Sen, Kamal Kumar, Husan Lal, Naresh Kumar, Madhumati, Raksha Devi and Salochana were declared elected. Husan Lal, Kamal Kumar, Jitender and Lalit Sen were among the old municipal councillors elected again. KANGRA: Four of nine members of the local municipal committee made it again and got elected to the municipal committee. Among the four who were re-elected to the municipal committee were former president Ms Urmila Sharma, former vice-president Pandit Bal Krishen, two former members, Suman Verma and Ashok Sharma. Most of the winners are from the Congress. Lobbying was on for the election of the president of the municipal committee and the one woman member Minakshi, was having the balancing factor and efforts were on to lure her for her support for the MC chief poll. NURPUR:
The Congress has maintained a lead in the elections of the local municipal council (MC) by winning six out of nine seats. The Congress-supported candidates won Ward Nos 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, whereas the BJP supported nominees won in Ward Nos 3 and 7. Ward No.1 was captured by an Independent candidate. The acting president of the MC, Mr Rakesh Mahajan, and his wife and former MC president, Ms Krishana Mahajan, won from Ward Nos. 5 and 9, respectively. Mahinder Kumar, Yash Soga and Raj Kumari, the Congress-supported candidates, won in Ward Nos 4, 6 and 8, whereas the BJP supported Dharam Pal and Shiv Chowdhary won in Ward Nos 3 and 7. Asha Devi, an Independent, won in Ward No. 1. |
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Cong wins in Nalagarh MC poll
Nalagarh, December 25 The list of winners include two sitting councillors — Shubash Chand from ward number 1 and Devi Saran from ward number 6. The other Congress-backed candidates who won the elections include Pawan Kumar from ward number 3, Nina Rana from ward number 4, Alka Rani from ward number 5, Neeru Bala from ward number 7, Mahesh Gautam from ward number 8 and Nand Kishore from ward number 9. PARWANOO: The Congress-backed candidates managed to win a majority of six of the nine municipal committee seats, while two independents emerged victorious in two wards. The BJP had to contend with a lone seat in the municipal committee elections which concluded yesterday. Managing a simple majority, the Congress-backed candidates who won include Virma Devi from ward number 3, Rajesh Sharma from ward number 5, Seema Azad from ward number 6, Hardip Singh from ward number 7, Narinder Walia from ward number 8. Chunni Lal, the outgoing vice-president, won from ward number 9. Two independents who won from ward number 1 and 2, respectively, include a couple —
R.S. Thakur and Daisy Thakur. At least four couples were in the fray for the first time. Congress-backed Seema Azad managed a five-vote victory, while
R.S. Thakur won by 75 votes from ward number 1. All eyes are now set on the posts of chairman and vice-chairman elections, which will be held on December
31. BADDI: Amidst allegations of bogus voting and entry of the local MLA into some polling booths, the Congress managed to sweep the nagar panchayat polls by capturing all nine seats, defeating the BJP for the second consecutive time. The BJP failed to top open its account and fared poorly in all wards. The list of winners include Sonia from ward number 1, Durga Chand from ward number 2, Dalip Singh from ward number 4, Bhupender Kaur from ward number 5, Pola Ram from ward number 6 and Karnail Singh from ward number 9. Three candidates Kamla Devi, Surindra Devi and Indr Ram were declared elected unopposed from ward numbers 3,7 and 8, respectively. A high of 84 per cent polling was registered in the nagar panchayat. Mr
H.N. Kashyap convenor of the BJP’s election cell, however, complained of large-scale bogus voting by people from adjoining villages of Kalka and Pinjore. He rued that these objections failed to elicit the desired result from the state Election Commission. |
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Irregularities in counting of
votes alleged
Palampur, December 25 According to reports received here, the counting of votes for the members of the BDC was concluded yesterday at about 2 p.m. and Mr Munish Katoch from Ward II, Chobin, was declared elected. When supporters of Mr Munish were celebrating the victory, they were informed that the other candidate had applied for the recounting of votes. Mr Munish Katoch alleged that recounting began at 4 p.m. his polling agents were not there and one of the counting tables was also replaced. He alleged that it was all planned with the intention to help ruling party supported candidate. After the counting was over the SDM declared elected Mr Krishan Kumar as winner from Ward II, Chobin. This caused widespread resentment among the residents of the Chobin and Kudail panchayats who resorted to direct action and blocked vehicular traffic on the Baijnath-Chobin highway for about four hours. They also held demonstrations at Chobin, Kudail and Mahakal protesting against the behaviour of polling staff and injustice done to their candidate. The agitating villagers also shouted slogans against local congress MLA Sudhir Sharma. They demanded re-election of Chobin Ward-II. Later villagers burnt the effigy of the SDM, Baijnath, and demanded stern action against him. However, Mr Sudhir Sharma, MLA from Baijnath, while talking to The Tribune said that he had no connection with the counting of votes. |
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12 poll duty officials suspended
Shimla, December 25 The suspended officials include six presiding officers and an equal number of assistant returning officers. There were complaints after the third and final phase of the panchayat elections that the ballot papers had gone missing. The Deputy Commissioner, Una, was asked to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. After receiving the inquiry report, the commission ordered the suspension. |
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Panchayat members to get honorarium
Chamba, December 25 According to sources, the zila parishad Chairman would get Rs 2,700 per month, the Vice-Chairman, Rs 1,800, and members, Rs 1,250 each as monthly honorarium. In panchayat samitis, the Chairman would get Rs 1,250, Vice-Chairman, Rs 1,000 and members, Rs 750 each. In panchayats, the pradhan would get Rs 750, up-pradhan Rs 650 and panches Rs 100 each per meeting. |
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BJP levelling baseless charges: Chauhan
Shimla, December 25 In a statement issued here today, he said the BJP was levelling such baseless allegations as its supported candidates had badly lost in the panchayat, zila parishad and local body elections in Sirmaur district. “The BJP is trying to cover up the rejection of their party candidates by the voters by alleging irregularity in the counting of votes,” he said. “My name is unnecessary being dragged into the issue, whereas recounting was done thrice to the satisfaction of the BJP-backed candidate in a fair manner by the administration,” he said. He added that recounting was done for the third time on his request only. He claimed that all the four zila parishad wards in the Shillai Assembly segment were won by Congress-backed candidates. |
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CM sees decline in BJP’s popularity
Chamba, December 25 Speaking over the phone last evening, the Chief Minister said the results in favour of the Congress reflected the declining popularity of the BJP which had been losing its grounds at the grassroots level. The Chief Minister reiterated that the people wholeheartedly believed in the good governance and poverty alleviation programmes of the state government. Referring to the sting operations like Duryodhan and Chakarviuh, the Chief Minister said the people of the state were now well-acquainted with corrupt leaders of the BJP. BJP leaders like Mrs Renu Chadha, district president of the BJP and former president of the Municipal Council, Dalhousie, had lost the security deposit in the municipal elections, the Chief Minister said. |
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CM promises Vidhan Sabha complex at Dharamsala
Dharamsala, December 25 In an exclusive interview with The Tribune here this evening, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that holding of the winter session, beginning tomorrow, was not under pressure from any political party, but a deliberate decision of the government keeping in view the aspirations of the people. He said: “The holding of the winter session is not a hurried decision. In fact, we have been working on the task of giving due importance to the Kangra region and in this
endeavour, several government offices have been shifted to this district over the past couple of years.” He, however, ruled out grant of second capital status to
Dharamsala, saying that this wouldn’t be financially viable. He cited the example of Maharashtra where the assembly is located in Mumbai, while Vidhan Sabha sessions are also held in
Nagpur, which also doesn’t enjoy a second capital status. He said the issue of expulsion of BJP MP Suresh Chandel for his alleged involvement in the cash-for-questions scam had unmasked the BJP both at the Centre and in the state. He said it wouldn’t be a thrust issue for the Congress in the assembly session beginning tomorrow but it bound to figure during the proceedings of the Assembly. The Chief Minister further said that although the government had decided to set up a university at
Dharamsala, its nature was yet to be finalised and this would be done in consultation with the local legislators, depending on the educational needs of the area. “Having a specialised biotechnology university or an information technology university instead of a conventional general university are some of the options,” he said. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the allegations of discrimination against the Kangra region were absolutely baseless. Commenting on the BJP’s demand to hold a session of the Vidhan Sabha in Mandi as well, he said: “The BJP had been pressing for a session in Dharamsala and when this is being done, they want it to be held in Mandi as well. Soon they would add Hamirpur to the list just to indulge in
oneupmanship.” |
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Lobbying on for Hamirpur seat after Chandel’s suspension
Shimla, December 25 With the BJP being completely cornered on the issue, a large number of Congress leaders want to make the best out of BJP’s miseries. Prominent among those who could take the plunge is the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief, Mrs Viplove Thakur. The Jaswan Assembly segment, from where she contested the Assembly elections, falls in Kangra district but is part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. Other leaders from the Congress who could be considered include Mr Sukhwinder Thakur, state Youth Congress chief, who hails from Hamirpur. “Being a woman, who is heading the party, Mrs Viplove Thakur could be the best candidate,” said a senior minister. When contacted she said that the choice of candidate depended on the high command and at the moment the topic had not even been broached, at any level. “The BJP stands fully exposed on the issue of corruption as they are the ones who used to harp upon ethics and morality,” she remarked. She said the walk out by the BJP from the Parliament on the issue had worsened their plight as they had nothing in their defense. Though elections in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha segment might be held much later but aspirants were already gearing up for the electoral battle and had already started pleading their case. With the names of maximum number of six BJP MP’s figuring in this controversy, the Congress was in an upbeat mood, almost confident of victory. Though the name of former chief minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal was also being taken but under the present circumstances he might not wish to take the plunge. “I am not at all keen to contest,” is all he said about his name being circulated. As far as the party being cornered, he said that the Congress should at least not be talking of corruption as their leaders had allegedly been accepting bribes and commissions since decades. “The party will in no way be on the defensive on the issue as we have enough ammunition against the Congress on the issue,” he said. He wanted to contest the Lok Sabha seat during the last elections but the final choice of the party fell on Mr Chandel, whose name prominently figured in the list of MPs who allegedly demanded money for asking questions in Lok Sabha. Other names doing the rounds in the BJP include a former Health minister, Mr J.P.
Nadda, the state BJP spokesperson, Mr Randhir Sharma, and a former state BJP chief, Mr Jaikishan Sharma. |
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Optimum use of MP funds lacking
Mandi, December 25 The Congress Shimla MP, Mr Dhani Ram Shandil, believes in spending the MPLAF on his constituency. “We are spending the funds, as and when we get directions, on buildings, playgrounds, link roads and the like”, said a district official, adding that fund utilisation was optimum as nothing got lapsed. Former BJP Lok Sabha MP, Maheshwar Singh believed in utilising the funds for the same purpose during his tenure from Mandi. But Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma and Kangra MP Kirpal Parmar have shown no interest in spending the MPLAF, say official sources. “Each MP gets Rs 2 crore every year. Mr Parmar’s term is ending but 50 per cent of it remains unutilised,” they add. Even the controversial Hamirpur BJP MP Suresh Chandel, tended to spend the MPLAF on the area of his preference, officials say. “The funds are utilised in the constituency as these are spent at the discretion of the MP”, they add. |
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Tremors in Kangra valley
Kangra, December 25 According to Dr Naresh of the Seismology Department, the earthquake was experienced in the Kangra valley at 1.33 p.m. He said that it measured 5.7 on the Richter scale and its epicentre was 660 km from here in Pakistan. He said the epicentre of the earthquake was in north-east of the PoK. There was no loss of life or property in the Kangra valley, but the people in some localities ran out of their houses in panic. |
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Accused in student’s
rape case held
Palampur, December 25 Talking to mediapersons, Mr Ranjit Singh Chandel, SHO, Jwalamukhi, said Balwant Singh and Ankaj had allegedly taken their classmate to a room in Jwalamukhi town under the pretext to serve her lunch. Where she was raped by them. Later the girl reached Jwalamukhi police station and reported the matter. An FIR was registered and a case under Section 376 of IPC was registered against the accused. The DSP, Dehra Gopipur, Mrs Rani Bindu Sachdeva, today visited the Jwalamukhi police station and met the victim. She sent the girl for medical examination where it was confirmed that the girl was raped. Meanwhile, both the accused were produced in the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Dehra Gopipur, who remanded them in two days’ police custody. |
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Shimla teems with Christmas revellers
Shimla, December 25 The town has been flooded with tourists as hotels are already booked to capacity. It was in the hope of celebrating a White Christmas that people from Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Jammu arrived here last evening in large numbers. Being disappointed on not seeing any snow in the town, majority of the people drove beyond to Kufri and Narkanda, where there is some snow. With all the parking areas being packed to capacity, vehicles were parked all along the roads leading to traffic jams. The town bore a festive look as Christmas carols were sung in the various Churches of the town, where mid-night prayer service was held. The markets, which remained open today despite it being a Sunday, have been decked up as Santa Claus greeted children with gifts. The Ridge Maidan and the Mall Road were brimming with people, who enjoyed the warm sunshine. The HP Tourism Development Corporation owned hotel Holiday Home already has 100 per cent booking for the next two days. “We are already booked up to 70 per cent till January 1 and the manner in which people are pouring in we hope to be fully booked,” said Mr Yogesh Behl, Deputy General Manager, HPTDC. Other HPTDC hotels in Barog, Chail and Peterhoff are fully booked for Christmas while there are 70 per cent bookings for New Year Eve. Most of the private and government hotels organised Christmas evening with artistes from Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh performing during the night. The Christmas parties are held here for two days on December 24 and 25. The district administration has made special arrangements to maintain law and order as police parties could be seen deployed at all across the town. Some areas and roads have been opened for parking so that traffic can be regulated. There will be an air of festivity in the town right uptill New Year’s Eve when people swarm the “queen of hills”. |
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Fiscal uncertainty in Nauni varsity
Solan, December 25 The reins of the university were taken over by Dr Jagmohan Singh on April 6 from Dr S.S. Negi. Assuring better financial health, he took up the issue of providing one-time grant to tide over the pending deficit with the state government. The dismal financial condition had a wide-ranging fallout. While as many as 111 posts of professor, associate professor and assistant professor remained vacant in the university, the study and research work was hit. That these posts would lapse if they remained vacant for more than three years was a worry echoed by the 141 PhDs who had failed to find suitable employment. With a tactic ban on fresh recruitments, the university only shifted its existing staff for various projects and made no fresh recruitments. The significant posts of statutory officials continued to be shouldered as additional responsibilities by various heads of departments and deans adversely affecting their working. The most glaring irregularity came to the fore when a three-member team of university officials seized unchecked answer sheets from the office of the Head of the Department of Post-Harvest Technology, Dr S.P.S. Guleria, on August 3. Though show-cause notices have now been served to the about seven faculty members the inquiry remains inconclusive after a lapse of about five months. The action is being dubbed too little, too late” by various sections of faculty members. Another question mark was put on its food product order licence with jams and pickles of the department getting fungus infested. The vice-chancellor minced no words to aver that transfer of technology from farm to field was abysmally low at merely 10 to 15 per cent. While accounting it as a priority area, he said. The university had performed well in getting 40 projects worth Rs 4 crore from agencies outside the state. This was in addition to the 20 projects procured by it under the horticulture technology mission. Sounding optimistic on the declining fiscal condition, he quipped a meeting with the State Planning Department had already been convened and they were hopeful of being bailed out of the pending fiscal deficit. On the pending inquiry, he defends the tardy pace and adds Each faculty member had to be given an opportunity to voice his views or else they could take a legal recourse. The employees had their woos to recall. An agitation from the employees in protest against the non-grant of DA was witnessed on the campus. The university, which entered its 20 year, held its fifth convocation on March 12 where 573 students, including 24 foreign students, were awarded undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. On the achievements front the university received a delegation of Pakistani scientists who lauded the efforts of the university. About two varieties of tomatoes Solan Sindoor and Solan Garima and a capsicum variety, developed in the university , were approved by the state variety list. It filed five patents with one being accepted. |
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Dhaba owner, servant crushed to death
Nahan, December 25 According to reports here driver and cleaner of a truck (17-4425) reached late on Friday night at a dhaba run by Jawahar Singh at Kedarpur and took meals. A dispute arose between the dhaba owner and the driver over payment. A scuffle took place between both. After that the truck driver and the cleaner boarded in the truck and the driver allegedly crushed dhaba owner Jawahar Singh and his servant Jaswant Singh under the truck. The dhaba owner and the servant were trying to stop the truck when they were crushed under the truck by the driver eye-witnesses said. Jawahar Singh died on the spot while Jaswant Singh breathed his last in Paonta Hospital, he hailed from Uttaranchal. The Paonta police has sent parties to nab the culprits. A case has been registered at the Paonta police station. |
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Jail inmates call off fast
Nahan, December 25 He said the demands raised by the inmates were already being looked into by the authorities concerned. After an inmate of Dharamsala jail, Amrish Rana, was brought here last week, who was already observing fast there, trouble started here also. About 50 inmates of Nahan jail prepared a memorandum of their demands on Friday evening and started fast. In the memorandum submitted to the jail authorities, the inmates had demanded several facilities inside the jail. |
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Punish tainted MPs, say fasting jail inmates
Nahan, December 24 The jail authorities confirmed that a memorandum was submitted to the jail administration by about 50 inmates who informed of their decision in support of their demands for improvement in the jail and action against the MPs caught on camera with regard to the cash-for-question scam. The situation in the jail is reported to be under control. |
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Fire in Yol Cantt barrack
Dharamsala, December 25 |
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Man hurt in blast dies
Kangra, December 25 |
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