 |
|
|
Cases against Khab project agitators to be withdrawn
Pong Dam oustees: HP, Rajasthan meeting today
HC reserves verdict in PMT case
ARTRAC plans to rope in experts
Move to scrap free power worries BJP
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Mankotia denies media reports
Himachal boy-led team wins NASA contest
Gujarat Co to buy apple directly from growers
MLAs not entitled to use red light: HC
Second finance panel to remain effective in 2007-08
SBI scheme to promote Chamba
crafts
Rs 882 lakh for rural sanitation
|
|
Cases against Khab project agitators to be withdrawn
Shimla, July 19 This assurance was given by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, to a deputation led by Devi Ram, who had offered to withdraw the agitation, here today. The cases will be withdrawn subject to the condition that the agitation was called off unconditionally and the protesters would not take the law in their hands again. "The people of Pooh subdivision are being misled by vested interest to fulfil their political ambitions under the garb of protecting their interest," said Virbhadra Singh. He assured them that all aspects would be taken into consideration and the people would be consulted before the project was allotted to any agency for execution. He said there was a long-drawn process to ascertain the viability of a project before it was allotted for execution and the government would refrain from taking any such decision which was against the interest of the people. "The project is at the very initial stage and the survey is being carried out to ascertain the feasibility of the project," he said. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the government had cancelled the allotment of Baspa_I hydel project in Sangla after ascertaining that it was not in the interest of the state. He said the people of the Sangla valley too had apprehensions about the environmental safety.
|
|
Pong Dam oustees: HP, Rajasthan meeting today
Shimla, July 19 The fact that it is for the first time that a high-level delegation, comprising three senior ministers and government functionaries from Rajasthan, are coming here to settle the pending cases is reason enough for the oustees to be hopeful. Rajasthan Revenue Minister Ram Narain Doodi, Public Works Minister Rajender Rathore and Agriculture Minister Surender Singh Titi will first hold a meeting with the members of the state-level committee for settling the cases of the Pong Dam oustees and later with the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh. “It is on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment, according to which the cancelled land must be given to allottees, that we will take up the pending cases of the oustees who have long been awaiting grant of land to them,” said Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister. The agenda for tomorrow’s meeting had already been prepared and the Himachal Government would take up all pending issues of the Pong Dam oustees and the problems faced by them. He said the Supreme Court had directed the Cabinet Secretary to settle the cases of the oustees saying that rules should not come in the way of the allotment of land to the oustees. There are three categories of allottees, whose cases have yet to be settled, despite the Himachal Government time and again asking Rajasthan to do so. While some people have not been given land at all, there are others whose allotment has been cancelled on technical grounds. Technical grounds cited for the cancellation are like the allottee not being there himself or having given the land to someone else for tilling. There is a third category of people who have been given land in very remote and difficult areas, where even the basic facilities like water and school are missing. Such people have been seeking change of land in some other areas where basic facilities are available. Now it remains to be seen how many cases would be settled in the meeting as the oustees have been running from pillar to post for several years to get their cases settled. In fact, both Congress and the BJP talk of getting the cases of the Pong dam oustees settled each time there are elections and later there is little progress on this front.
|
|
HC reserves verdict in PMT case
Shimla, July 19 A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr V.K. Gupta, and Mr Justice Surjit Singh, after hearing both the parties reserved its order. Today the counsel of both sides argued the case for more than an hour. The counsel appearing for the selected candidates, Mr J.L. Gupta and Mr Rajiv Sharma, contended that there was no evidence of paper leak in the investigation committee report. On the other side, the counsel for the petitioner, Mr Sandeep Kaushik, contended that there was sufficient evidence that the paper was leaked. The university advocate, Mr D.D. Sood, on the other hand, questioned the report of the committee and said that the report was factually incorrect. He also produced the original record of question papers of the students before the court. The aggrieved committee of parents had filed a petition before the High Court wherein it was alleged that the question paper of the PMT was leaked.
|
|
ARTRAC plans to rope in experts
Chandigarh, July 19 Joint in-depth analysis on certain specified issues as well as training seminars will be organised under the proposed programme. The experts will also provide inputs on policy matters, which will help the Army to “look ahead” and devise its training policy accordingly. “ARTRAC is now focusing on how relations with foreign countries will have an impact on our training methodology and training infrastructure,” a senior officer told The Tribune. “For this, ARTRAC is contemplating joint study projects with established institutions like United Services Institution and the Institute for Defence and Strategic Analysis,” he added. For example, the officer said, “We would like to know how bilateral relations and military ties with a particular nation are progressing and accordingly prepare a picture of the scenario ahead.” “It will be useful to know how many military personnel from friendly foreign countries are expected to come in the future so that we can prepare beforehand for the same and provide the requisite training infrastructure in our academies and establishments accordingly,” he said. Experts, he said, were already engaged in carrying out studies of this nature and, to some extent, were better placed academically to carry out in-depth analysis concerning foreign relations than ARTRAC. “Also, in such institutions, there is a kind of permanence for staffers where as in military establishments people keep moving,” the officer said. The primary role of ARTRAC is to carry out conceptual studies on contemporary warfare, devise the Army’s training philosophy and control its numerous training establishments.
|
|
Move to scrap free power worries BJP
Shimla, July 19 Addressing a press conference here today, A BJP MLA and party spokesperson, Dr Rajiv Bindal, said the opposition must be taken into confidence on the issue. “The state government has not been serious in fighting the move which would immensely harm the short and long-term interests of the state,” he said.
|
|
Mankotia denies media reports
Dharamsala, July 19 Addressing a press conference, he said, “There is no base to it and it would be incorrect to say that the list that I have submitted is about ministers. The campaign that I have launched against corruption is not a campaign by me alone but is a people’s campaign as we had won the last Assembly elections on the issue of providing a clean government to the people,” he said. “We haven’t targeted anybody in the list and we have only placed before the high command any incriminating evidence provided by sources about the involvement of politicians and bureaucrats and certain people who gave the impression that they were close to the centre of power. Whatever action has to be taken rests with the high command and the state government,” he said. “The recent scams coming out in the media were making people lose faith in the government’s commitment to eradicate corruption. That is why we launched this campaign so that the government could take corrective measures and take action against those involved in alleged cases of corruption,” he said. He said a rally would be held in August in his constituency, Shahpur, when the Chief Minister would come there for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the newly notified government college. He said the demand for setting up an office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) would also be raised during the Chief Minister’s visit. Asked if the Chief Minister had agreed to come to his constituency, he said the invitation had already been sent.
|
|
Himachal boy-led team wins NASA contest
Shimla, July 12 Neeraj, along with 15 other members of his team from Apeejay School, Jalandhar, had left for the Thompson Space Centre 10 days back. He is a final-year student of electronics and communication at the IT University at Vaknaghat here and hails from Solan. He is the topper of his course in the JP University of IT. The eight teams had to participate in the contest, “The space settlement design competition”, organised by NASA. The participants were given details whether the colony on the mars was to be set up on the surface or in the atmosphere and they submitted a 50-page proposal. NASA selected the best proposal out of the ones prepared by the eight teams, out of which four teams were from the USA, three from India and one each from Australia and Malaysia. — TNS
|
|
Gujarat Co to buy apple directly from growers
Chopal (Shimla), July 19 The farmers are upbeat as it is for the first time that they will get marketing facilities on their doorstep. At the same time, the commission agents in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Chandigarh are apprehensive as the consignment of apple is expected to nosedive to an all-time low this season. The farmers said the arhtiyas were worried because “apple production is not expected to cross one crore boxes this year” as the weather had destroyed over 50 per cent of the crop as compared to last year. The growers said the arhtiyas had been fleecing small and marginal growers as they charged 8 per cent commission and gave them lower rates for the produce. The growers will now directly sell the fruit to the company and will not have to bother about the long journeys in trucks to Delhi”, said Rajiv Bragta, a grower from Maroag in Chopal. The General Manager, AAFL, Mr Abhay Pant, said three CAS worth Rs 150 crore had been set up at Sainj in Theog, Mendli in Rohroo and Rampur Bushair in Shimla district. “We will buy apple from the growers. Procurement may begin from August 15”, he said. The company would also provide crates cost of free to the growers for transporting fruit from orchards to the CAS. “The growers will pay transporting charges”. Mr Pant said. “The company will procure apple which has 50 per cent colour on the basis of its weight per kg, not per crate or carton, as is the current practice. The rate will be decided soon but, we will not procure second-grade culled fruit”, he clarified. We will provide soil testing, leaf analysis and other facilities for the benefit of the growers”, he added.
|
|
MLAs not entitled to use red light: HC
Shimla, July 19 A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta and Mr Justice Surjit Singh stayed the operation of part "D" of the notification issued by the government on July 12. The "D" head note of the notification further includes dignitaries such as former Speakers of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha, Chairman Electricity Regulatory Commission and two vehicles of the flying squad division of the Forest Department Shimla division and Sundernagar division. The order came on a petition filed by Advocate Trisha Sharma alleging that the misuse of the red light in the Himachal was rampant. The petitioner said the HP Motor Vehicle Rules provided that red light could only be used by those who were authorised to use the National flag and distinctive flags. The petitioner alleged that respondents had allowed the use of red light to MLAs, ex Speakers, officers of the state and Chairmen of various board and corporations by flouting the rules.
|
|
Second finance panel to remain effective in 2007-08
Shimla, July 19 As the TSFC is in no position to complete the assigned task within the stipulated period for various reasons, it has submitted an interim report for the year 2007-08 to the government. The recommendations of the second commission covered the five-year period from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and the report of the present commission has to cover the next five years. The interim report has mostly carried forward the recommendations of the second commission with 6 per cent hike to take care of the increase in expenditure due to enhancement of salaries and cost escalation. It has recommended Rs 50,000 each for the construction of office buildings of the 321 newly created panchayats. There had been an inordinate delay in the setting up of the commission, which came up only in May, 2005. Further, requisite staff was made available only about six months ago. Mr Kuldeep Pathania, Chairman of the commission, maintains that a minimum of two years are required to complete the job as detailed consultations and interaction have to be carried out to ascertain the viewpoint of the elected representatives. Mr Pathania said besides devolution of financial resources, the commission would also recommend amendments to various laws so that the PRIs and ULBs could effectively exercise their administrative and judicial powers. For instance, the panchayats had certain judicial powers but they were unable to exercise them as they had not authority to ensure the presence of the accused. Such powers could only be vested in them by amending the Criminal Procedure Code. The Panchayati Raj Act and the Municipal Act also required changes to empower the elected bodies to generate revenue and effectively recover dues.
|
|
SBI scheme to promote Chamba
crafts
Chamba, July 19 The artisan credit card scheme was implemented here today. To launch the scheme, the Chamba branch of the bank organised a loan distribution function for artisans credit cards, which was presided over the by the Additional District Magistrate of Chamba, Mr Chaman Singh. Under the scheme, the SBI, in the first phase, will finance craftspersons up to Rs 2 lakh without collateral security. The ADM stated that the scheme envisaged the utilisation of skills of local artisans and craftspersons in the
traditional crafts of Chamba with the objective of enabling them to compete
in the open market by enhancing technical know-how. He laid emphasis on diversification by focusing on small articles of daily need like key-chains and towel holders.
|
|
Rs 882 lakh for rural sanitation
Nurpur, July 19 The minister said all panchayat pradhans and up-pradhans under the Panchayati Raj system would be issued photo identity cards by the Department of Rural Development so that they could establish their identity while looking after panchayat affairs in government offices. He said all the elected representatives were being imparted special training by the government which would be mandatory for them.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
