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Caste controversy shadow over
Medical cover for disabled, minor dependents soon
Banks to advance Rs 335.99 cr to farmers
Bill to hike MLAs’ salaries introduced
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Minister denies largescale felling
Summer festival from June 2
Mandi man to give Kathak performance in Mumbai
Irregularities in purchase of medicines alleged
Liquor shop auction fetches Rs 255 cr
Leopard dies in trap
BSP activists hold demonstration
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Caste controversy shadow over judges’ appointment
Shimla, April 5 While Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has denied reports that the government was blocking appointments of judges on caste basis, doubts are raised due to inordinate delay in forwarding names recommended by the collegium of high court to fill vacancies against sanctioned strength of nine only three judges will be in position when Mr Justice K.C.Sud retires next week. The vacancies rose in quick succession with the elevation of the Justice L.S.Panta to the Supreme Court and the death of Mr Justice V.M. Jain recently. Another Judge Mr V.K. Jhanji retired last month. Appointment of judges has been a sensitive issue. There are delays whenever there is controversy or differences between the high court and the state government. In the instant case names of Mrs Aruna Kapoor, Registrar-General of the High court , and Mr D.D. Sood, a senior member of the bar, were sent to the government in December last. It is learnt the government had referred back the panel for reconsideration but the high court refused to oblige. Earlier, names of Mrs Abhilahsa Kumari, a daughter of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mr
S.S. Thakur, Secretary, Law, and Mr Sanjay Karol, a former advocate general, were forwarded and out of the three Mrs Abhilasha was made the additional judge. However, the Chief Minister maintained that there was no controversy over the appointments and asserted that his government did not go by considerations of caste. It has always endorsed the recommendations of the high court without reservations and there was no reason not to do so in the instant case. He said one of the names had already been sent and the other was received from the Governor only few days back, it would also be forwarded. However, he admitted that the members of bar had conveyed their reservations to the government that names of a particular caste were being listed in the panel and it did not reflect the caste composition of state. Mr Virbhadra Singh also pointed out that communications received from the Government of India also underlined that overall caste composition of the state should be kept in mind while making recommendations. Mr Sanjay Karol and Mr
D.D. Sood are from the bania community.
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Medical cover for disabled, minor dependents soon
Shimla, April 5 The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, responding to a question by Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman (BJP), informed the house that so for the facility was available to pensioners and their spouses only. He added that there was a strong case for providing medical cover to their handicapped and minor dependents. A formal decision in this regard would be taken soon. Mr Sat Mahajan, the Revenue Minister, told Mrs Asha Kumari (Congress) that as many as 291 cases of violation of Section 118 of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act were pending in the state, some of which were more then 10 years old. He said the government was concerned over the delay in deciding the cases and it would soon issue instructions to the deputy commissioners to decide the cases within a year. He also said the government would also consider disconnection of water and power supply to the buildings constructed in violation of the law. Mr Virbhadra Singh informed the house that under the 'Bharat Nirman Yojna', 625 villages would be ensured connectivity by constructing 2,378 km of roads. Besides, 4,713 km of roads would be upgraded. All the 106 remaining villages would be electrified and 6,891 uncovered habitations would be provided drinking water facility. In the telecom sector, 1002 villages would be provided connectivity. |
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Banks to advance Rs 335.99 cr to farmers
Mandi, April 5 Announcing the annual credit plan prepared by the lead bank Punjab National Bank and NABARD here, Mr Panda said that Rs 102.45 crore would go for the agricultural sector, Rs 25.18 crore for the small-scale sector, Rs 146.41 crore for the priority sectors and Rs 61.95 crore for the non-priority sector. Mr Panda said the district had targeted to increase the agricultural credit by over 39 per cent this year. “This is being done to achieve the target of 100 per cent increase in agricultural credit in three years as directed by the Central Government,” he added. Mr Panda said that as many as 480 unemployed youth have benefited under the PMRY scheme. Present on the occasion were the PNB’s senior manager, Mr S. Negi, and the DDM, NABARD, Mr Malkit Singh. |
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Bill to hike MLAs’ salaries introduced
Shimla, April 5 The Bill also provides for extending the free travel facility, by rail, air or by the state transport undertaking, to their families and enhancing the maximum limit from 80,000 km to 1 lakh km in a financial year. It also seeks to waive the existing maximum limit of pension of Rs 13,000 per month in respect of ex-members of the House. He also introduced similar Bills to enhance the free travel limit in respect of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and ministers. The additional financial burden on the state exchequer on this account would be Rs 39.30 lakh annually. |
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Minister denies largescale felling
Shimla, April 5 Responding to Mr P.K. Dhumal's assertions in the Assembly on failure of the government to check illicit felling, he said over six lakh trees had been consumed by hydroelectric projects and about 35,000 to 40,000 trees were being allotted to villagers under the TD rules. Besides, trees were also felled to meet the demand for fuel wood in the tribal areas, he added. Quoting figures, Mr Thakur said the cases of illicit felling varied between 2,433 and 3,252 and there had been no appreciable change. As such it was patently wrong to allege that illicit felling was being carried out on a largescale. Earlier, Mr Dhumal alleged that illicit felling was going on across the state because of the laxity of Forest Department. He mentioned the cases of Dharamsala, Una, Rajgarh , Norgu sanctuary and pointed out that the Forest Conservation Act was being violated with impunity. Mr Dhumal said in one case, a Divisional Forest Officer was suspended but reinstated in haste and such actions of the government did not send the right signals to the offenders. |
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Summer festival from June 2
Shimla, April 5 Stating this here today, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sushil Negi, said the festival was organised not just for the locals but also for the tourists who came here for a holiday during the summers. Presiding over a meeting in this connection, he said that local folk artistes would be given an opportunity to showcase their talent. He said artistes from Malaysia, Thailand and the North Zone Cultural Centre would perform during the festival. Subcommittees have been formed for organising cultural programmes, a Himachali food festival, baby show, flower show, painting exhibition, Red Cross fair, band display and roller skating race. |
Mandi man to give Kathak performance in Mumbai
Mandi, April 5 Talking to The Tribune before leaving for Mumbai here today, Dinesh said he would present the “Kathak yatra” from its heyday in temples through the Mughal period till what today is known as the “Rangmanch Kal” by his solo dance performance in Mumbai. The performance will last one and half hours, he added. For Dinesh, Kathak has been his passion since his childhood. “I learnt the dance early and joined the stream at the plus one level. I completed the five-year course at the RKMV, Shimla, and three-year honours course from the Kathak Kendra, Delhi. I did my postgraduation in dance from Kheragarh University, now in
Chhattisgarh,” he said. Dinesh has emerged as an icon of Kathak dance not only in the state but he also has been training a young crop of dancers at his academy, Kalakshetra, that he set up here in 2001 to promote Kathak in the state. “As many as 50 students have learnt the dance course here,” he said. The male needed to change their mindset that the dance was a female domain, he said. “I am married and I give performance all over the state and outside. The country’s biggest Kathak icons are males with Birju Maharaj as all-time guru, Dinesh Gupta said. |
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Irregularities in purchase of medicines alleged
Solan, April 5 Addressing reporters here local MLA Dr Rajiv Bindal said medicines of companies like Ranbaxy were available at lesser price in the market. Demanding an inquiry into the matter from the Chief Minister, who is visit the regional hospital tomorrow he said the drug deal was under a cloud. Citing examples of commonly used drugs he said a tablet of diclo pcm was bought for Rs 4.50 while the same manufactured by Ranbaxy was available in the market for 0.42 paise. Similarly, an antacid syrup which was bought for Rs 27 per bottle was available at Rs 18 in the market. An anti-cold tablet which was priced at 0.53 paise in the market was bought for Rs 1.31 by the hospital. Even Brufen pcm tablet which was available at 0.56 paise in the market was procured at Rs 1.13 paise. Coming down on the government he said despite assurances to the electorate to do away with user-charges in hospitals the government only enhanced these after coming to power in 2003. He said Rs 10.80 lakh, Rs 7.95 lakh and Rs 14.62 lakh had been collected from the regional hospital for 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively by the government in lieu of user-charges. These charges were enhanced and it was interesting that while a patient had to pay Rs 14 for a X-ray at IGMC Shimla, this charge was Rs 30 here. He demanded an inquiry into the purchase of a colour doppler worth Rs 13.91 lakh which developed a fault in a short time after its purchase. Despite receiving tenders from firms like Siemens the government purchased it from a firm which failed to repair it in the warranty period. He said the government dissolved the Rogi Kalyan Samitis formed during the BJP’s tenure and converted these into the hospital welfare societies despite a court direction. This only restricted the purview of the society as only official members had been incorporated in it. |
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Liquor shops auction fetches Rs 255 cr
Shimla, April 5 Mr T.G. Negi, Principal Secretary, Excise and Taxation, said the target of Rs 330 crore for 2006-2007 was likely to be exceeded by Rs 25 crore. He said the uniform excise duty of Rs 23 on IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Liquor) would make liquor cheaper and the benefit of this excise duty would also be available to the serving military personnel and ex-servicemen who were earlier paying excise duty on IMFL at Rs 53, Rs 39 and Rs 27 on premium, deluxe and cheaper brand. He also asked the department to ensure that licence fee was recovered as per schedule.
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Leopard dies in trap
Nurpur, April 5 |
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BSP activists hold demonstration
Nurpur, April 5 Later addressing a rally, the BSP leader alleged the Congress government had been exploiting the
Dalits. He expressed concern over the rampant corruption in government departments and alleged that the Departments of Revenue and Food-cum-Civil Supplies had become a den of corruption and the government had become merely a silent spectator. He said the BSP would continue its tirade against corruption in government departments. On this occasion, state Dalit Krantikari Morcha president Sham Lal Baru declared the merger of the morcha with BSP.
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