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Haj panel sting rocks Assembly
Massive employment drive underway: CM
CM’s remarks spark media boycott
Thind told not to exceed limits of service rules
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Heritage status: 97 buildings await Cabinet nod
Trek sans vision, a new challenge
Pact with JP Industries for cement plant
CPMT paper leak: Accused admits tutoring candidates
MC reserves wards for SC, women
VRS: Doctors threaten stir
BBNIDA to prepare masterplan for Baddi
Youth held with charas
6 houses gutted
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Haj panel sting rocks Assembly
Dharamsala, December 28 Trouble started when leader of the opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal wanted to raise the issue of Himachal Pradesh Haj Committee chairman Maulana Mumtaz Ahmed Kazmi and member Nizakat Ali having been caught red-handed taking bribe in a sting operation. Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir did not allow him to do so, saying today being a private business day, no other business could be taken up for discussion. When some members of the opposition tried to speak in support of their leader, the Speaker stood up from his seat and asked the members to behave properly. He warned them that if the members tried to undermine the position of the chair, he would take disciplinary action against them. Worried over the conduct of opposition members, the Speaker said he had been a member of the house for nearly 25 years, but he had never witnessed such a situation. “It is my prerogative to allow members to raise the issue as I have to conduct the house”, the Speaker said. Later, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed the house that both persons concerned had been removed by the state government from their posts with immediate effect. He said they had also been sacked as members of the state waqf board. Earlier, talking to mediapersons at his office, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state government was examining initiating criminal action against them. Mr Dhumal said during a press conference in the Vidhan Sabha lobby that the widespread corruption prevailing in the state had been exposed by the sting operation. Alleging that the committee chairman was close to the Chief Minister, he said he was a blue-eyed boy like suspended ADGP B.S. Thind. |
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Massive employment drive underway: CM
Dharamsala, December 28 Replying to a question by Mr Damodar Dass of the BJP, the chief minister said these included 3,386 regular appointees, 47,642 regularised daily wagers and 15,935 persons employed on contract or on compassionate grounds. In reply to another question, the chief minister told Mr Mahender Singh of the BJP that the government endeavoured to upgrade primary schools into middle schools and high schools into senior secondary schools under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). He said there were 11,500 primary schools in the state and all of them could not be upgraded, but effort would be made to upgrade the maximum. Similarly, all high schools could not be upgraded, but the effort of the government would be to upgrade maximum number of high schools. He said the Union Government had provided Rs 78.45 crore under the SSA during 2004-05, Rs 98.44 crore during 2005-06 and Rs 51.26 crore during the current financial year up to November 30. Mr Virbhadra Singh informed Ms Asha Kumari (Congress) that a vigilance inquiry had been ordered into the fraudulent transactions of property in Dalhousie town detected by the custodian department, Kangra. He said 11 FIRs of fraudulent land deals, including five in Chamba district, had been registered but none of them pertained to Dalhousie. He said the matter was being inquired and if warranted, more FIRs would be registered. Irrigation and Public Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur informed Mr Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress) that Rs 45.84 crore had so far been spent in first phase of Swaan channelisation project in Una district. He said the total estimated cost of first phase was Rs 106.3 crore and the second phase would cost Rs 243.20 crore. He said the first estimate of the second phase, costing Rs 27.6 crore for constructing 5 km long embankments, had been sent to NABARD and more funds would be sought after the sanction of first estimates were received. |
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CM’s remarks spark media boycott
Dharamsala, December 28 Soon after the question hour, Independent MLA Kuldeep Singh showed a vernacular newspaper, saying a certain news item had presented distorted facts against the ministers and MLAs. He requested the Speaker to give a ruling on this so that such reports with ‘half truths’ were not carried in the media. The Chief Minister also stood up and expressed concern over media reporting for not giving adequate space to his replies and
speeches. He said the media should give due space to the leader of the house and requested the Speaker to issue certain directions to the media. Anguished over the remarks against the media, all journalists present in the press gallery walked out and boycotted proceedings for some time before lunch. Mediapersons then went to Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir and expressed concern over the remarks of the Chief Minister. Later Mr Virbhadra Singh called all mediapersons to his chamber and said he had the highest regard for the media. “My intention is not to hurt you”, he said. He said a section of the media had not carried his reply to what the opposition said in the house yesterday. “I expect the media to be fair enough”, he said. Leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal announced that his party would raise the issue in the house tomorrow and ask the leader of the house to withdraw his statement against the media. This was shameful as mediapersons had boycotted proceedings of the house for the first time in the history of the Vidhan Sabha, he said. He said the media had every right to report freely and mediapersons could not be given instructions to write in favour of the government. |
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Thind told not to exceed limits of service rules
Dharamsala, December 28 Talking to reporters here today he said the government would not tolerate such things as he was still an employee of the state government. If such things went on happening the government might take disciplinary action against him, said the CM. He has denied having received any letter purported to have been written by Mr Thind making allegations against some senior civil and police officers. He said the state government had received only two letters from him one seeking revocation of his suspension and the other for the extension of leave. To a question he said, “I am not godfather of any individual”. “Although, taking into consideration my age and long political and administrative career, I am godfather of the whole state”, he added. Asked whether he would be reinstated the CM said, “The way issues of letters purported to have been written by him are coming in the media, he is making things difficult for him”. The CM said he was still an officer in the state government and governed by service conduct rules. If he had any documentary proof in support of the allegations of corruption against certain officers he should provide it to the government for necessary action, the CM said. “We will definitely take necessary action against the guilty”, he assured. CM further said the suspended police official should not have gone to the press making such allegations as it would make his case not only weak but also more complicated. Refuting the charges of the opposition of favouring the police officer, he said state government had suspended him immediately after he was arrested and remanded in police custody and now he was on bail. “There is no question of shielding or favouring him”, he added. Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged it was former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, who had favoured Mr A.K. Puri and made him the Director-General of Police. |
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Heritage status: 97 buildings await Cabinet nod
Shimla, December 28 A total of 97 British time buildings have been identified for being notified as heritage structures, but with conflicting opinion on declaring only the main building as heritage structure and not the entire compound along with other smaller structures, the matter is awaiting Cabinet approval since quite some time. Even though architects and engineers point out that in view of the bungalow compound concept, the entire precincts will have to be declared as heritage or else the basic purpose of protecting heritage structures would be defeated. Even though the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had identified about 300 buildings in Shimla to be declared as heritage structures, the department of Town and Country Planning has shortlisted only 97. Many people who own big palatial bungalows, having outhouses, annexes and other structures within one compound, are keen that heritage status be bestowed only on the main building, leaving other parts of their property. “Knowing very well that declaring the entire property as heritage would limit scope for further expansion, alteration or addition as per the heritage rules, the house owners are opposed to the entire bungalow compound being declared as heritage structure,” said a senior official. The Town and Country Planning (TCP) department may make a few additions to this list of 97 buildings. “Some old structures having heritage value could have been left out but they can be added to this list anytime,” said an official. Citing an example, he said a request had come in from the SP, Shimla, to include the Sadar police station as heritage structure. The Municipal Corporation on its part will put up plaques outside some of these heritage buildings, giving details of the year of construction, style of architecture and other details. With the Tourism Department providing funds, the plaques have already been put up outside some of these old buildings. The government has constituted a heritage sub-committee for the state capital and the area from the state secretariat till the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) has been declared as heritage zone. Besides this, the government has notified heritage areas in Dalhousie, Mandi, Rampur and Chamba and intends to extend it to other parts of the state. Keen on protecting the old British time structures, the government wants that the precious heritage be protected at any cost. As such, with a building being declared as heritage structure, only reconstruction along old lines would be allowed, with no addition or alteration. |
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Trek sans vision, a new challenge
Dalhousie, December 28 Seven visually challenged persons from Mumbai, including four women, are taking part in this trekking expedition. They will also trek along with others to Kalatop, Khajjiar and Chamba. The visually challenged batch was flagged off here this morning. Ms Poonam Sawant, who was blind, said she had come here to feel natural snow. Mr Arun Mumbaikar and his wife, who were blind, wanted to feel the extreme cold. Ms Smitha Chauhan said she would explain her physical feeling of this trek to others and arrange for their participation in future treks. Mr Hussain Patan said when aged persons could participate in trekking, why not them, as visual impairment would not come in the way. Ms Neha Pawarkar, secretary of the All-India Blind Women Association, said she had participated in an earlier trek. She said she had decided to bring these new faces to the Dalhousie trek because she had gained confidence that the treks were well-organised. Asked as to what benefit they would get, the seven trekkers replied that they would gain self-confidence and show that they were in no way less than others. They said they
wanted parents of physically challenged children and society to realise that these children should not be discarded. The general feeling among the seven participants was that they could enjoy nature during this trek. They said they were alert and inquisitive to gain knowledge about the mountains. They said in chorus that if one did not have courage, he or she could not do anything. |
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Pact with JP Industries for cement plant
Sikridhar (Chamba),
December 28 According to sources, process to provide land for administrative offices of JPI and sites for other major works relating to the cement plant was under way. “Earlier the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the Larsen and Toubro Company, but in the meantime the L&T abandoned cement business and sold the business to the Uni-Tech Company. Consequently, the state government had to rescind its MoU”, the sources revealed. The cement plant is proposed to be set up at Sikridhar in interior picturesque hills of Churah tehsil of the district with rupees 650 crore that has 70 years’ deposits of limestone. Per-day limestone extraction would be 6,000 truck- loads with annual production of 1.5 million tonnes of cement from the plant. The plant is expected to generate employment for nearly 15,000 persons including skilled technicians and other staff directly or indirectly to local people. The plant was conceived by former BJP leader and Industries Minister Late Kishori Lal in 1977 when he was Public Works Minister in the Himachal government of the Janata Party. The plant was lingering on for the past 29 years and has an ‘election issue’ during Assembly and Parliament elections over the past several years. |
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CPMT paper leak: Accused admits tutoring candidates
Shimla, December 28 Kalra, who hails from Makhu village in Ferozepur district of Punjab, has confessed during police interrogation that he had got in touch with Raj Kishore Kumar, a medical college student at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), to tutor the HP-CPMT candidates. Though Kumar was studying at AMU, he was operating from Delhi and is absconding since investigations into the case started. “Kalra during interrogation has admitted that he contacted Kumar to tutor the candidates and we have telephonic record to this effect also,” said a police official. Dr Goverdhan Singh Gaba, who had also been arrested by the police earlier, was a close accomplice.
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MC reserves wards for SC, women
Shimla, December 28 The decision was taken at a meeting of various political parties with Deputy Commissioner, Tarun Kapoor here today. The seats have been reserved for women and SC on the basis of 2001 census figures and in rotation system. Mr Kapoor informed that out of the four wards reserved for SC candidates, Tuti-Kandi ward had been reserved for SC woman by draw of lots. He said it was through draw of lots that seven wards of Ram Bazaar, Kaithu, Malyana, Kanlog, Patyog, Boileauganj, and Krishnanagar had been reserved for women candidates.
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VRS: Doctors threaten stir
Kangra, December 28 Disclosing this here today, Dr Susheel Sharma, spokesman of the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association, demanded its immediate revocation. He said doctors had been singled out by the government for this draconian law, which was not
acceptable. He said under Central service rules, an employee could seek voluntary retirement after either attaining the age of 45 years or after rendering service for 20 years. He said if the government failed to withdraw the decision, the option of moving court against the order was open. He said the government could not make doctors work like bonded labourers. |
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BBNIDA to prepare masterplan for Baddi Baddi, December 28 After having extended the industrial package up to 2010, the government in its first effective endeavour has formed the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industrial Development Authority (BBNIDA), as a single solution for all industry-related problems. Currently, the BBNIDA is preparing a master plan for Baddi that will shape it into an ideal industrial town. The stress is to improve the infrastructure situation, besides planning other things as per the set norms.
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Youth held with charas
Kangra, December 28 According to the police, Avinash Katoch, a graduate, was on way to Dharamsala when the police stopped him at the Tapovan Chowk. His motor cycle (BP 16 A 8999) was searched and 3kg charas seized from his possession. The youth was on way to McLeodganj to sell it to a few customers. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the youth and his motor cycle impounded. |
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6 houses gutted
Kulu, December 28 Three persons, Amar Chand, Lal Chand and Bhagat Ram, were injured during the fire fighting operation and shifted to the Regional Hospital here. The cause of the fire was stated to be an electric short circuit. The Sub Divisional Magistrate supervised the rescue
operation. He said Rs 22,000 had been distributed among the victims as immediate relief. The affected villagers were Kesari Devi, Tek Chand, Bhagat Ram, Karam Chand, Bahadur Singh and Dile Ram. |
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