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Forest Dept in a fix over incorrect enumeration CM for equity participation in power projects Cancel coop bank exams: Dhumal Flower market to be set up in Delhi |
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Landslides disrupt traffic Charges framed against 4 cops Handa is Solan Lions Club chief
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Forest Dept in a fix over incorrect enumeration Shimla, July 29 The department has obtained permission for the diversion of 954 hectare of forest land for the project but the area which will be actually submerged is about 100 to 120 hectare more on which 40,000 to 45,000 trees are standing. The faus paux has virtually made the forest clearance granted by the Centre for the project redundant, as trees could not be felled without permission. More importantly, the left out forest areas formed part of the Majathal wild life sanctuary, which provides habitat for a host of species particularly birds like the cheer pheasant. The diversion of protected wild life areas is allowed only if equivalent area is included in the sanctuary. This has not been taken care of in the environment management plan. The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting between the Kol Dam Project authorities and the Forest Department. Mr Ashok Thakur, Principal Secretary (Forests), said the Principal Chief Conservator of forests had been asked to look into the matter and find out how such huge area was left out of the diversion plan. Whatever be the reasons the department will have to seek the forest clearance afresh otherwise permission to fell the trees will not be granted and it will also not able to claim the value of the trees from the project authorities. Discrepancies have also come to light in the implementation of the catchment area treatment plan. In Shimla division only, 1,100 trees per hectare have been planted as against the normal 1,500 per hectare. Last year, 200 hectare was planted under the plan which means that 80,000 less trees were planted. In monetary terms it will cause a loss of Rs 9-10 lakh to the department.
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CM for equity participation in power projects Shimla, July 29 While talking to mediapersons here today he said BJP had done great injustice to the state by clearing power projects without government's equity participation. “The state will have to bear losses of Rs 80,000 crore in the next 40 years for the blunder committed by the BJP in clearing the 1, 200 MW-Parbati and the 800-MW Kol Dam without the state's equity participation,” he remarked. He said despite the equity principle being clearly defined, it was negligence and lack of interest towards protecting the interest of the state that led to the clearance of these two major projects being executed by the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). “None of the projects for which agreements were signed during the BJP regime went into generation except Malan, in which the BJP once again agreed to reduce the state's share from 15 to 11 per cent,” he alleged. He said that Larji project was at the commissioning stage.
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Cancel coop bank exams: Dhumal Shimla, July 29 In a statement issued here today Mr Dhumal said close on the heels of the leak of the CPMT papers, there are allegations of favouritism in the Cooperative Bank exams. “There had been allegations of errors in question papers, repetition of questions and different set of question papers for the Cooperative bank exams and now the merit list has been leaked even before the formal declaration of the results,” he said. The BJP leader said the Cooperative Bank examinations have been surrounded by controversy, which had been reported in media from time to time and the leak of the merit list only gives credence to such doubts and allegations. He said the exams must be cancelled as great injustice had been done to deserving candidates.
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Flower market to be set up in Delhi Shimla, July 29 This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, while reviewing the progress, achievements and targets of the Horticulture Department here today. “The government will also set up a retail outlet at the Ridge here so that the floriculturists can sell their produce and fetch good prices,” he said. Despite efforts by the government to popularise floriculture in the state, it has failed to pick up in a big way as the growers find it difficult to market the flowers. “The government will make efforts to revive the honey industry and set up a technologically advanced processing unit manned by professional experts who know how to produce the processed quality honey,” he said. He said a total of 30,000 families were involved in bee keeping and the government will promote it as an employment avocation. He said the government had associated with private players to set up a modern cold chain so that fruit and agricultural produce could be stored. The Chief Minister said fruit production had touched seven lakh metric tonne as compared to a mere 1,200 metric tonne in the year 1950-51.
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Landslides disrupt traffic Mandi, July 29 The landslide-prone spot on the Mandi bypass remained blocked due to boulders and debris brought down on the highway from the shaky slopes rendered susceptible to landslide by rains. The traffic on the highway had to be diverted through Mandi town to the bus stand till the traffic was restored, PWD engineers said. Commuters, including pilgrims visiting Manikaran, remained stranded at Charot nullah due to the landslide.
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Charges framed against 4 cops Palampur, July 29 Mr David Peter has stated in his complaint that one of his clients, Mr Pardeep Kumar, had filed a suit against these police officials. These police officials were now pressurising him to persuade his client to withdraw the complaint, otherwise, he would be implicated in a false criminal case. He had been receiving threats from these police officials, he said. When Mr Peter expressed his inability to withdraw the criminal case against the police officials, they adopted revengeful attitude against the complainant and tried to harass him on one pretext or the other. On June 23, 2002, when Mr Peter was at his residence, three policemen entered his house and dragged him to the road and manhandled him. He was not even allowed to change his dress. They forcibly took him to the local police station where SHO Shakti Chand was present; he abused him and threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to persuade his client to withdraw the case against the police officials. Later, Mr Peter filed a case against the four police officials. After hearing both parties, the Judicial Magistrate framed charges against the four police officials — Shakti Chand, the then SHO, Joginder Singh, Sub-Inspector, Prem Chand and Vijay Kumar, both Head Constables.
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Handa is Solan Lions Club chief
Lion Ashok Handa has also been given the portfolio of joint secretary (anaemia-free India) by the District Cabinet of Lion Gurcharan K. Ghai, District Governor of Lions International District 321-A2 comprising 60 Lions Clubs of New Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Lion Ashok Handa is also the secretary of the Solan branch of the Indian Medical Association and the joint secretary of IMA’s HP state branch.
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Chandigarh, July 29