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Expand rail network, pleads CM
Budget passed
Contempt case
Farmers to be given nod for monkey killing
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Doctors plead for legal protection
Tibetans protest against Chinese brutality
Water shortage in Mandi areas
Body formed to ‘save’ education
Deodars to be restocked
Govt diverting funds: Cong
Forged Certificate Case
5 Gurkhas held with wood
Murdered girl identified
Over 200 hutments gutted in fire
Seminar ends
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BSP factor, wrong tickets led to defeat: Virbhadra
Shimla, March 27 In his first interaction since the formation of the Dhumal regime he said the state had virtually been given on a platter to the BJP. “I was alone campaigning in Himachal while Congress leaders from the Centre who were to visit the state went to Gujarat, where they failed to deliver,” he said. He said the top brass of the BJP right from Advani to Sushma Swaraj to Rajnath Singh came to Himachal in waves, creating a wave which gave momentum to the BJP campaign. He said in the absence of central leaders, the campaigning was left to him alone. It is probably for the first time he admitted that the BSP had played a spoilsport for the Congress even though it managed to win only one assembly seat. “Though there has been a shift of only 2 per cent votes it made all the difference and in many places the party candidates lost with slender margins,” he said. He admitted that the BSP had damaged the Congress. He said another reason which led to the Congress defeat in the state was the wrong distribution of assembly tickets. “We lost some of the seats when the tickets were given as the candidates there failed to save even their security deposit,” he said. Virbhadra Singh, who has been maintaining a low profile, said that he would attend the March 30 party rally being organised in Kangra but being a simple MLA it was not mandatory for him to attend every meeting being organised at the district headquarters. He said that the Congress would extend support to the BJP on pro-people programmes but it would not hesitate to oppose and agitate against decisions that were not in the interest of the state and its people. |
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Expand rail network, pleads CM
Shimla, March 27 Stating this during the question hour Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal informed the House that he had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and the Planning Commission for converting the the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail track to broad gauge and extending it to Mandi to join the Bahnupali-Bilaspur-Beri line. From Mandi the rail line should be extended to Leh via Kullu, Manali and Lahaul -Spiti. He said the Chinese had to retreat in 1962 only because they could not maintain the supply line due to lack of rail network. Now China had constructed rail track right up to Lhasa and it had become imperative for the country to create similar infrastructure right down to the border. The Army was spending thousands of crores of rupees on maintaining supply through road transportation to troops deployed on Chinese borders. Moreover, no cost was high when the matter involved the national security. He informed that the Rs 1,047 crore Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri line had been included in the budget. The state would contribute 25 per cent of the amount and the rest would be borne by the Railways. The state government had allocated Rs 37 crore for the purpose in the budget. |
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Budget passed
Shimla, March 27 While demands for grants pertaining to the PWD, Health, Education , Irrigation and Public Health, Industries, Forest and Police Departments were debated and all cut motions withdrawn, those for other departments were guillotined. The Rs 12,542-crore budget was presented by Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal on March 7. After general discussion on the proposals, which lasted four days, the department-related standing committees scrutinised the demands during the nine-day recess from March 15 to 23. The total receipts are pegged at Rs 9,398 crore. The tax revenue is estimated at Rs 3,195 crore, non-tax revenue at Rs 1,231 and central receipts at Rs 4,971 crore. The gap will be met through loans. The net loans after accounting for repayments will increase by Rs 1,931 crore. Earlier, replying to the debate on cut motions pertaining to the Police Department Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal said the government was aware of the need to modernise the police and improve its mobility. All 303 rifles would be replaced with pistols over the next two to three years. A sum of Rs 1.49 crore had been allocated to provide 33 light motor vehicles and 69 motorcycles to the field units. Initiating the debate, Harsh Wardhan said the police should be strengthened by providing modern weapons, vehicles and adequate manpower to arrests the growing crime rate. Kuldeep Pathania suggested that investigations should be assigned to law graduates to improve the conviction rate. He also drew the attention of the government to the blatant violation of the flag code by political leaders. |
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Contempt case
Shimla March 27 The court initiated the contempt proceedings on the basis of reference sent by the Hamirpur CJM in which it was alleged that during traffic checking the contemnors raised slogans against him and staged a dharna. While discharging both of them the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Mr Justice S.S.Thakur accepted the unconditional apology and defence taken by both of them. H.S.Mattewal, advocate-general of Punjab, submitted before the court that both contemnors had highest respect for the judiciary and for persons manning judicial offices and they could never think of doing anything which would directly or indirectly undermine the majesty of law or any judicial office. He further submitted before the court that no slogans were raised against the CJM. The slogans were directed against the police, the Congress government and the Chief Minister. Neither the minister and nor the Mayor were in the knowledge that a spot trial was being conducted by the CJM at the spot. Moreover, both of them pacified the workers and proceeded to Hamirpur to participate in the election rally. This incident took place on December 12, 2007, when Kalia and Rathore were going to participate in an election rally at Hamirpur where they were signalled to stop by some traffic policemen near the bus stand. |
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Farmers to be given nod for monkey killing
Shimla, March 27 Replying to the debate on cut motion pertaining to the demands of the Forest Department forest minister J.P.Nadda said the policies of the government must reflect the sentiments of the people of “devbhoomi” and as such the emphasis would be on containing the monkey nuisance by mass sterilisation and setting up primate protection parks. However, permission would be granted to the farmers for killing the simians. The process for granting permission had already been decentralised and now range officers were competent to grant it. He appreciated the concern of the members over the problems being faced in implementation of development projects because of the Forest Conservation Act but said that clearances were being granted. In all, 923 cases had been cleared out of which 23 pertained to the state and the remaining 900 to the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment. He said the Act had indeed helped in protecting the forest wealth but the government would take all necessary steps to ensure that it did not hamper development activities. The government was also aware of the difficulties being face by people due to the ban imposed by court on grant of trees under the timber distribution rights, green felling and sawmills. He said the matter was being pursued vigorously and, if required, an appeal would be filed in the apex court. Nadda assured the members that there would be no let-up in the afforestation programme and the government had allocated Rs 12.40 crore for the purpose as against Rs 5.36 crore last year. The department would try to exploit the vast potential foe eco-tourism by utilizing selected rest houses. Earlier, initiating the debate Harsh Wardhan drew attention to the damage being caused to crops and livestock by wild animals. He also urged the government to give compensation for killing of livestock at uniform rates and asserted that there was no justification for granting less compensation for animals killed in forests as compared to those killed in a cowshed. Gangu Ram Musafir pointed out that the people were no longer cooperating in protecting forests, particularly in controlling forest fires, mainly because they were being denied their timber distribution rights. He suggested that manpower should be engaged for protection of forests under the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme. |
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Doctors plead for legal protection
Shimla, March 27 A delegation of the HMOA today met health minister
Rajiv Bindal and requested him to accept some of the long-pending demands of doctors. The HMOA demanded that a special postgraduate allowance of Rs 8,000 to post graduates degree holders and Rs 6,000 per month to degree holders. With difficult and long working hours due to workload, the medical fraternity is feeling frustrated, forcing it to quit service. “NPA should be taken into account while calculating 50 per cent DA and the age bar of 48 years for doctors to appear on the PG exams be withdrawn,” said Dr Jiwa Nand Chauhan. Doctors should be provided more promotional avenues with posts like deputy CMO, programme officers and other posts above block medical officers. They also demanded house rent and rural area allowances at the rate of 6 per cent, along with conveyance and academic allowances. They also urged the minister to increase the tenure of registrars for doctors with PG diploma to four years instead of three
years now. |
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Tibetans protest against Chinese brutality
Nahan, March 27 They raised the Tibetan flag and displayed anti-China messages to the world community to put pressure on China to respect human rights in its territory and stop the killing of Tibetans. They demanded that international media in Tibet should be allowed. The protesters claimed that nearly 140 demonstrators had been killed so far at the hands of Chinese Red Army in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. Hundreds of Tibetans flanked by their senior leaders from the area and their government in exile in Dharamsala started their protest march from the bus stand and went up to the office of Sirmour Deputy Commissioner peacefully through the main market of Nahan. Last evening too Tibetans had organised protests in Bhoop Pur and Puruwala villages under the Paonta subdivision and burnt the Chinese flag. After the protest, Tibetan leaders led by Dr Sonam Damdul, MP of Tibetan Parliament and representative of Tibetan government in Exile Dharamsala demanded that the Red Cross must come forward to help Tibetan people in Tibet and UNO and the world community must stand against the atrocities meted by the Chinese government on Tibetans. On this occasion, Geeta Ram Thakur, secretary, Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society,expressed his solidarity with the Tibetan people and demanded that the Government of India must support the Tibetan cause openly. |
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Water shortage in Mandi areas
Mandi, March 27 According to residents, Paddal and Suda Mohala localities in the town are going without water for the past few days. The Dhanayari village too went without water. Ladbharol in Jogindernagar and several villages in Gohar subdivision too faced water shortage. Mandi municipal council president Sushila Sonkhla said the few localities in the town were facing shortage of water. She asked the IPH Department to restore the water supply in the affected areas. The IPH engineers said “The fault will be repaired by the evening today, and water supplies will be restored by tomorrow”. The engineers added that the water sources in the several IPH schemes were receding due to the long dry spell. But the water crisis was being managed by pressing into services water tankers as the need be, they said. |
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Body formed to ‘save’ education
Kangra, March 27 This was announced here today at a joint press conference by Dr. R. D. Sharma, president, Himachal Pradesh Educational Consultant Forum, and former deputy director of education, Mr. R.K. Kaiastha and Mr. N.D. Sharma, general secretary and treasurer of H.P. Government College Teachers Association respectively and Mr. Susheel Kaushal, state president, Unemployed Trained Teachers Association. They alleged that the education system in the state was in shambles due to the wrong education policies of the previous government. and demanded the immediate implementations of the Deepak Shanan Report. |
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Deodars to be restocked
Shimla, March 27 Concerned over depleting green cover and drying of deodar trees in the erstwhile summer capital of the British, the forest authorities are considering undertaking restocking of deodars, the way it is done in the USA, Russia and East European countries. Even though the modalities are still being worked out the project will first be taken up on an experimental basis and depending on the results, a full-fledged project will be implemented for the state capital. With the costs of restocking being much higher than the normal plantation, the Forest Department is likely to seek funding from external agencies. The survival rate of the 1.50 lakh deodar and oak trees planted in Shimla during the last one year has been a poor 30 per cent, forcing the authorities to look for other ways to increase the forest cover. “We have tried our level best to plant four to five trees in small patches but the survival rate unfortunately is not very high,” says Rakesh Sharma, DFO, Shimla Division. It is by way of earth-ball method that about 10 to 12 years old deodar trees from forests are dug out with the help of machines and replanted after treating it with hormones. |
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Govt diverting funds: Cong
Nurpur, March 27 The demonstration was led by state general secretary Ajay Mahajan. In the memorandum the congress workers raised eyebrows on the halting of rural development projects under the Nurpur development block alleging diversion of funds earmarked for the works approved during the previous state government. In the memorandum, the Congress has opposed recent hike in bus fares in the state and alleged victimisation of government officials and employees by the government on political grounds. Earlier, Mahajan, who unsuccessfully contested assembly election on the Congress ticket from Nurpur assembly constituency, admitted that it was too early to oppose the government within three months of its rule but it had no choice but to oppose. |
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Forged Certificate Case
Shimla, March 27 Rahi, who was interrogated by Vigilance sleuths, has completely denied his involvement in the case. However, the police is likely to question his staff, including his secretary at that time, to ascertain facts. The police suspects that a racket of supplying forged certificates has been active in the board. The Vigilance Bureau is likely to summon a few officials of the board. The case pertains to a plus two certificate, obtained by Upma Kashyap, daughter of Singhi Ram, which was later found to be fake. Upma had sought admission to Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi, on the basis of this plus two certificate, in which she is supposed have secured 90 per cent marks. On investigation the Vigilance Bureau found that no roll number matching the one on her certificate existed in the board record. |
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5 Gurkhas held with wood
Chamba, March 27 The district police is keeping a watch on the timber smugglers spreading their network all over the district. They are felling valuable mandhal, kail and deodar trees. The felling is going on unabated in the interior forests of the district. Chamba SP R. S. Negi said here today The police investigations had revealed that the timber was being smuggled for further black-marketing in the Tibetan market at Dharamsala |
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Murdered girl identified
Kumarhatti, March 27 There were some injury marks on her neck and arms The girl was putting up in the same room with one of her relative, Om Prakash, at Baddi from the past few years. The police has rounded up Om Prakash. |
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Over 200 hutments gutted in fire
Una, March 27 The loss of property has been assessed to over Rs 2
lakh. More than 1,000 persons have been rendered homeless. However, no loss of life has been reported. The Jhuggis belonged to migrant labourers from Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Una DC Padam Singh Chauhan has deputed Una SDM to visit the spot.
— UNI |
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Seminar ends
Chamba, March 27 This was the outcome of a two-day seminar of eminent researchers, archaeologists and historians with special emphasis on the “History and culture of Himalayas with special reference to western Himalayas” which concluded at the local Bhuri Singh Museum today. |
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