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CM indulging in blame game: Dhumal
Unemployment at new high: BJP chief
124 more villages to be added to BBNDA
Council refutes govt claim on health services
Never-ending wait for old-age pensions
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Locals stall work at Ghanvi project site
Additional wheat for state
Woman dies of burn injuries
Youth’s murder: Cops find weapon
Efforts on to make CT scan functional
Charas seized
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CM indulging in blame game: Dhumal
Hamirpur, January 20 He said the Chief Minster did not have much to boast of as achievements of his government during the past four years and he was, therefore, making one allegation or the other against the BJP. This was a clear indication of his being frustrated, he added. The outburst of Mr Dhumal was in response to the recent remarks by Mr Virbhadra Singh that the BJP leaders, including new state president Jai Ram Thakur, were inexperienced. “It seems the Chief Minister has lost control over his language and is indulging in mudslinging in his attempts to classify leaders of the opposition in different categories,” he said while talking to mediapersons after a party meeting. “Going by his statements, the general public comes in the second class and only those born in palaces like him were in the top category. But the leaders of the BJP are happy to be classified with the masses, who will take the final decision,” he said. He said the present state government had not been able to get any financial package from the Centre, unlike the previous BJP government that managed to get an aid of Rs 1,700 crore from the Vajpayee government,” he said. On the issue of delimitation, he said the draft-making process was stopped in 2002 and it was after the Congress government took over at the Centre and in the state in 2004 that the process was resumed. “The new draft proposal was circulated in August, 2005, when the Congress was in power. So, it would be wrong to blame the BJP for the changes. In fact, the representation of the BJP in the commission was reduced to only one,” he said. “The Chief Minister himself has met the chairman of the delimitation commission several times with the request that his constituency, Rohru, be not reserved. But this is not a fault of the BJP that the SC population has grown in that area,” he said.
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Unemployment at new high: BJP chief
Kullu, January 20 Addressing a rally, he said government policies had disappointed people. “Unemployment has touched a new high though over 50,000 posts are lying vacant. Contractual jobs have compounded the misery of the youth,” he stated. Later, Thakur addressed a media conference at the Circuit House here. He lambasted Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for his “haste” in approving the Himalayan Ski Village project. “Why was the Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue convened at night?” He also questioned the state government’s failure in representing the need for Timber Distribution rights for villagers before the High Court. “What was the hurry to inaugurate the incomplete Vidhan Sabha building at Dharamsala? The Congress is frustrated and Virbhadra knows that the party cannot retain power, which is why it is resorting to political gimmicks like sanctioning schools and colleges and inaugurating incomplete buildings and roads,” he remarked. Earlier, MLA Khimi Ram, who is also president of the district unit of the BJP, addressed the meeting. He said the Congress had no business to interfere in the BJP’s affairs. “BJP is united and there is no factionalism. Party elections are the hallmark of democracy and cannot be considered factionalism,” he said.
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124 more villages to be added to BBNDA
Shimla, January 20 The BBNDA has already sent the proposal to the government, which has been endorsed by the Town and Country Planning Department and it awaits the final go from the state Cabinet. At present there are 118 villages under the authority and the area under it is over 150 sq km. With the inclusion of these 124 villages the boundary of this industrial belt will touch Haryana border on one side and will extend right up to the limits on the northern side towards Swarghat. The Town and Country Planning Department is already engaged in the process of preparing the development plan of the BBNDA. Before the BBNDA a separate development plan for Nalagarh till 2015 was approved in 1998. Similarly, there was an interim development plan for Baddi-Barotiwala, which was approved by the government in 1995. However, in view of the special industrial package that was given to Himachal the government revised this interim development plan, which was finally approved in 2004. “With the entire belt being declared as a separate special authority, an integrated development plan is being prepared by the department,” informed a senior official. Even as the process of preparing the plan is on, there is also a proposal to do outsourcing and get it done from an external agency on contract. In fact, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had earlier stated that the government would probe all land deals which had been made in violation of the rules. Several land deals were made in the area in view of the area being declared a special authority, resulting in prices of land shooting up manifold. Chief Secretary S.S. Parmar yesterday reviewed the progress of the works being done by the BBNDA. Besides the Finance, PWD, Town and Country Planning and Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) Secretaries, Director, Industries and Revenue, also attended the meeting. “It was emphasised that development of parks, sanitation work, community centres and other works should be done in strict accordance with the master plan so that there is no haphazard growth,” informed a senior official. Concern was expressed over the condition of the road. |
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Council refutes govt claim on health services
Shimla, January 20 Addressing a press conference here today, president of the council Arvind Thakur said volunteers of the council had visited several hospitals and primary health centres in Shimla district. “We have given an MoU to the Union Health Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, Governor, Chief Minister and Secretary and Director, Health, in this regard. In case no steps are taken to improve the condition, we will consider knocking the door of the court,” said Mr Thakur. He said one can gauge the deplorable condition of health services in the state by visiting Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Kamla Nehru Hospital. “There is no provision for
neurosurgery, advanced cardiac and spinal surgery at the IGMC,” he said. He said the council intends undertaking similar health surveys in Mandi and Kullu districts. Mr Thakur said for reforms in the health
system, the council recommended, among other things, fair disbursement of funds for medical and health system of the state, check on prompt transfers of doctors, medical and para-medical staff, introduction of latest medical technologies in hospitals and primary health centres and provision of an ambulance. He claimed that in certain remote parts of the state people were not even aware of the Pulse Polio programme. |
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Never-ending wait for old-age pensions
Nahan, January 20 There are thousands of persons in the twilight of life in Sirmour district suffering like Singh. This despite the fact that Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Singh Negi has issued repeated orders to the Welfare Department to ensure smooth disbursal of old age pensions. TNS knows of at least 10 similar cases. When contacted, District Welfare Officer L.C. Chouhan said that he was following stipulated guidelines issued by the relevant authorities and was not bound to listen to anybody else. “Many persons do not receive the old pension due to various reasons. I cannot do anything,” he said. The Deputy Commissioner had instructed Chouhan to regularly visit rural areas to create awareness about the old age pension scheme and help process the cases of the elderly. He has now asked Chouhan to send a report of recent field visits and amount disbursed to pensioners. BJP district chief Baldev Bhandari accused the Congress regime for ignoring the elderly and flayed the “discriminatory and apathetic approach” of the Welfare Department. Department officials must visit rural areas regularly, he said. |
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Locals stall work at Ghanvi project site
Shimla, January 20 The work on the phase-II of the Ghanvi project is in its final stages of completion and is expected to become operational by next year. The locals today
stormed to the project site and stalled the work, demanding fulfilment of their demands. Hundreds of locals, mainly women were protesting against the blasts carried out by the authorities in the main tunnel on Monday. The locals demanded that a survey should be conducted to assess the damage caused to houses where cracks had appeared and adequate compensation. They have also been demanding jobs in the project site. Massive land slides had been triggered by the blasts undertaken at the project site and the government should give compensation to them, they added. The Ghanvi project has been made on the run of the river and as such not a single family has been displaced. Very little land has been acquired. |
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Additional wheat for state
Shimla, January 20 Giving this information here today, the Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affair Minister, Mr Singhi Ram, today said the additional wheat had been given in view of the increased demand for wheat within the state. "This allocation is in addition to the 10,248 metric tonnes which has already been allocated to the state," he informed. Mr Singhi Ram said the allocated wheat would be provided to the consumers on ration cards as per the fixed norms. This would provide great relief to consumers in the far-flung areas. |
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Woman dies of burn injuries
Kangra, January 20 Mr Surender Sharma, SHO, Kangra, said today that Pinky Sharma, a mother of two children, one studying in Class IX and another in Class XII, had developed illicit relationship with Kikar, 35, a local resident. Kikar was present in the room when she set herself on fire, the SHO said. According to local residents, Pinky husband is serving in the Army and is stationed at Kapurthala in Punjab. The SHO said Pinky in her dying declaration before a magistrate had confessed that she was caught in an accidental fire and Kikar was not responsible for the accident. |
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Youth’s murder: Cops find weapon
Nahan, January 20 Sirmour Superintendent of Police D.K. Yadav said Ashok was killed with a ‘gandasa’. The killers had thrown the blood-stained weapon in some bushes a few metres away from the spot where the youth was murdered. The police swooped down on three boys Rajesh Kumar, Ravinder Kumar and Sher Singh and arrested them. Rajesh Kumar and Sher Singh confessed to have murdered Ashok while Ravinder had demanded ransom from the deceased’s mother.
— OC |
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Efforts on to make CT scan functional
Nahan, January 20 Mr D.D. Sharma, a radiologist, has already been sent to Indra Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, for training in this regard. On January 5, The Tribune had highlighted in its column the urgency of installing the CT scan machine, which was lying defunct for over eight months.
— TNS |
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Charas seized
Mandi, January 20 The accused were travelling in an Indica car (PB-13R 1880) coming from the Kulu side. Those arrested were identified as Manjit Kaur and Rajinder Singh of Sangrur. |
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