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Sundernagar Cement Plant
Budget Session Begins
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CM: Cong not a constructive Oppn
Cong to gherao vidhan sabha
Kot Kehloor to see development boom
Civil hospitals, FRUs
without experts
Villagers forced to pay for‘free’ CFLs
Dhumal to inaugurate winter carnival
NSUI criticises functioning of Education Department
Memorandum submitted
Supplementary demands presented
BSNL to launch 3G services soon
Official held for graft
One suspended in diary case
Girl commits suicide
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Body seeks CM’s intervention
Tribune News Service
Mandi, February 12 Submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the DC, Mandi, SSS general secretary Lalit Chaudhary and president, Paryavaran Sarankshan Samiti (PSS), Col BS Raghava, asserted that the Chief Minister should listen to the people of the area who were against building of the plant. PSS general secretary US Sen reminded Dhumal of the promise made in the BJP’s election manifesto that the BJP government would never acquire land forcibly. Even the government’s notification goes against the Supreme Court’s judgement in which the apex court did not approve of forcibly acquiring fertile agriculture land for setting up of an industry, SSS members pleaded. They requested the Chief Minister to intervene and shift the site to a barren area. They said more than 90 percent population of SunderNagar is against the plant supposed to come at Chambi. They said even the farmers, allured by the money packets of the company, were not ready to give back the money and were now supporting the SSS as the company had not paid them enough compensation DC Mandi Onkar Sharma said it was up to the state government to shift the site to other place. “Over 40 per cent of the people have given their land for the plant. Now Section 6 notification has been issued for compulsory acquisition and we are pressurising the company to give best possible rates to the farmers,” he claimed. Director (industries) Manoj Kumar said they had not received any representation or direction for the shifting of plant site. “These matter are to be dealt with by the district administration,” he added.
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Rau lists govt’s priorities
Tribune News Service
Shimla, February 12 She was speaking during the budget session of the Assembly on the opening day here today. She said 80 per cent of the promises made in the election manifesto, which had been adopted as a policy document, had already been fulfilled. “The government remains committed to the uplift of the underprivileged and weaker sections with special emphasis on the welfare of senior citizens, women, children, disabled, ex-servicemen, SCs, STs and OBCs,” she said. She said the social security pensions had been enhanced from Rs 200 to Rs 300 with an additional increase of 10 per cent from January. Services of all daily wagers, who have completed eight years of service, are being regularised and their wages enhanced from Rs 75 to Rs 100 per day. “A multi-pronged strategy is being followed to harness the vast hydropower potential and 13 projects with a capacity of 1,123.10 MW were under execution,” she stated. She said a $ 9-lakh loan had been approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as technical assistance for fine-tuning the transmission master plan. She added that a loan of $ 800 million had been sanctioned for four projects. Rau said steps had been taken for providing environment friendly, sustainable industrialisation of the state. The Governor said efforts were being made to develop new tourist destinations and circuits so that benefits could reach out to people in the remotest corners of the state. “Education also remains a priority area of the government with thrust on setting up more vocational and industrial training institutes,” she said. Rau said schemes worth crores had been launched in the fields of horticulture, agriculture, health, irrigation and public health for the welfare of the people. “Stern and strong action has been taken against corruption in order to provide transparent and responsive administration,” she said.
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Congress stages walkout
Shimla, February 12 CLP leader Vidya Stokes raised the issue immediately after obituary references were over after the Governor’s address on the opening day of the House. She said the brief 11-day session would not provide ample opportunity to the members to discuss the budget proposals. She was joined by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur in voicing the concern of their party members over the shortest-ever budget session of the state Assembly. Despite assurance by Chief Minister PK Dhumal that there could be late sittings of the House so that every member could participate in the discussion on budget proposals, the Congress members chose to leave the House. “Vote on account is being presented by the UPA government which has to go to polls, ours is a government in continuity so there is no question of presenting vote on account,” said Dhumal dismissing the Congress demand. “I fail to understand why the government is in such a tearing hurry to pass the budget and in case the session was to be kept brief, it would have been appropriate to present “vote on account” and not a regular budget,” said Virbhadra Singh.
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CM: Cong not a constructive Oppn
Shimla, February 12 Reacting to the walkout by Congress legislators from the House today, Dhumal said it seemed that the Opposition had already made up its mind to stage more such walkouts during the 11-day session. “One cannot expect constructive cooperation from an Opposition whose members have little respect for democratic norms,” he remarked. Dhumal said it was due to the failure of Congress legislators to raise issues that the House was invariably adjourned after the Question Hour or at lunch. He assured that the Congress MLAs would be given time to speak on the budget proposals. He said unlike the Congress, his government would only make those announcements, which it can honour. “We will promise to give only those things which are within our means and limited resources unlike the Congress that had promised job to one member of each family,” he lashed out. He said Union Minister Oscar Fernandes would lay the foundation stone of the ESI Hospital in Mandi on February 23. Dhumal also criticised the Congress for giving political colour to the issue of publication of wrong map of India in its official diary. “We admit that a mistake has been committed and action will be taken against those responsible but the Congress should desist from politicising the issue,” he remarked. He said the map had been downloaded from Internet by private publishers at Delhi and the only intention was to show the national highway network in the state. “If Congress makes it a political issue then they too will have a lot to answer for the blunders committed by it in the past,” he said.
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Cong to gherao vidhan sabha
Kangra, February 12 This was disclosed by Nardev Kanwar, Congress party's state delegate at Jawalamukhi today. He said that the party had decided to highlight the government's failure on these three issues by holding a protest outside the state assembly on February 17. He alleged that the government was misleading the people of the state by highlighting achievements the government had never achieved. Refuting the claims of some BJP leaders who had been maintaining that the state government was doing an excellent job, Nardev Kanwar said that the party would expose the ruling party on this issue and failure of their promises made in its manifesto.
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Kot Kehloor to see development boom
Bilaspur, February 12 This was stated by BJP state spokesman and Kot Kehloor MLA Randhir Sharma while presiding over an annual prize distribution function of Government Senior Secondary School, Soldha, about 80 km from here, yesterday. Sharma exhorted students to take part in all the activities of the school as it was essential for the overall development. He urged the teachers to take extra care to identify the talent in every student. The MLA said the government had started a virtual campaign in the constituency for development purpose and Rs 1.31 crore was being spent on construction of Bholi road, Rs 2.55 crore on Badnu Tunnighat road and Rs 34 lakh on the Sui link road in the area alone this year. He announced a grant of Rs 2.5. lakh for construction of the school boundary wall and one class room. A provision of setting up of solar light and an aqua guard for supplying clean drinking water to the students is also there. The MLA said commerce classes would be started from the next session and steps would be taken to construct a science block here at the earliest.
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Civil hospitals, FRUs
without experts
Mandi, February 12 Though the Health Department recently started the sixth FRU at the zonal hospital here. Except for the FRU at Sarkaghat, the four earlier FRUs have neither a gynaecologist nor a paediatrician. This has defeated the very purpose of setting up FRUs under the NRHM. The Health Department’s claim that it will fill all vacant posts of doctors in the state has turned out to be hollow as there is no gynaecologist or paediatrician at four FRUs (Paddar, Jogindernagar, Karsog and Baldwara) and four civil hospitals (Karsog, Jogindernagar, Sarkaghat and Sandhol). Rural woman patients are the worst hit as they have to travel to the Mandi zonal hospital or pay hefty treatment charges at private hospitals located in Mandi, Sundernagar towns along the National Highway No. 21. The zonal hospital here is also without a gynaecologist for the past one week as the doctor has gone on three weeks’ medical leave. Another gynaecologist is on deputation to the regional hospital, Kullu. Director (Health Services) Sulakshna Puri had claimed that the department was trying to fill vacancies in various hospitals in the state by appointing doctors from fresh batches on priority basis. “The district hospitals have being upgraded as FRUs to take care of patients in rural areas,” she added.
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Villagers forced to pay for‘free’ CFLs
Mandi, February 12 The complainants - Moti Ram from Mazas village, Gauri Dut from Gadyali, Tulsi Ram from Darsaz, and Durga Dass from Mazas in Balag and Seri Kothi panchayats in Sundernagar subdivision - yesterday charged that many villagers were made to pay Rs 40 per head for getting four CFL bulbs from the state electricity board. Even the poor farmers, who had no bulbs, were made to buy four simple bulbs from the shopkeepers before they were given four CFL bulbs in return, the villagers charged. The MLA has alleged that not only the employees of the state electricity board but also top BJP ministers were hand-in-glove in the scam. JE RS Rana claimed that some villagers did buy bulbs but no money was received from the consumers for the four CFL. “It is a government order that for four CFL bulbs we have to receive as many ordinary bulbs,” he added. An official of the electricity board said no one had brought any complaint to his notice, but he would look into the matter. |
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Dhumal to inaugurate winter carnival
Manali, February 12 On the opening day, a cultural procession by the participating teams from different state will start from Hadimba Devi Temple. It would conclude at Nehru Park, popularly known as Ram Bagh. Chief Minister PK Dhumal will inaugurate the carnival, while MLA Govind Singh Thakur will preside over the concluding function. According to the organising committee, 22 teams will take part in the carnival. Cultural troops from different parts of the state are likely to perform during the carnival. The carnival has proved to be a major source of entertainment for the tourists and local residents who were otherwise forced to remain indoors due to cold. |
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NSUI criticises functioning of Education Department
Bilaspur, February 12 Vivek Kumar said an NSS camp could not be held at the Government Postgraduate College here and also at Una, Amb, Jaisinghpur, Bhatoli, Beetan, Palampur, Badsar, Rajgarh, Shillai and Paonta. He pleaded that since now there was no time for holding these 10-day camps, these students should be given 2 per cent marks extra.
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Memorandum submitted
Shimla, February 12 Dhumal was talking to a delegation of PHD Chamber of Commerce, who met him here today to submit a pre-budget memorandum suggesting relief for the industry, power, tourism, biotechnology and taxation services. The chamber requested for introduction of tax information exchange system with a view to facilitate self-declaration and self-assessment. “An enabling policy for development of the power sector must be implemented so that the state could get its benefits,” they said. They urged the government to rationalise bar license fee for the hotel industry. |
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Supplementary demands presented
Shimla, February 12 He disclosed that the major expenditure proposed under plan schemes was mainly for infrastructure development schemes. This, he said, included Rs 50 crore for reconstruction of roads, bridges damaged due to rains, Rs 46.33 crore for road project, Rs 10.65 crore under the National Rural Health Mission and Rs 22.56 crore for capital works in tribal areas. Under the centrally sponsored schemes a sum of Rs 107.35 crore was received for education, Rs 59.83 crore under the National Calamity Contingency Fund and the Calamity Relief Fund. Under the non-plan expenditure the main components include Rs 47 crore for subsidy on subsidized ration and Rs 53. 96 crore for payment of interest.
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BSNL to launch 3G services soon
Shimla, February 12 Chief General Manager (Telecom) of the company Anil Kaushal said Shimla was among the 15 cities in the country that had been chosen for the launch of 3G services in the first phase. He said the 3G telephone services would facilitate very high-speed data transfer though mobile phone. “Video calls, video conferencing, downloading of videos and movies will become a reality with the launch of this facility,” he said. He said IPTV had also been successfully tested and the service would be provided initially in Shimla town only. |
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Official held for graft
Hamirpur, February 12 On a complaint filed by Shrawan Kumar, the vigilance team laid a trap and arrested the accused while accepting the bribe. — TNS
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One suspended in diary case
Shimla, February 12 Even though the 3,500 diaries were printed at a private press at New Delhi but the government in the preliminary inquiry has prima facie found the three officials from the department of printing and stationary responsible for the blunder. The other two who have had to face music in this major faux pass which has caused major embarrassment to the governemnt is Badri Dutt, reviser and Des Raj Gupta, head reader in the Printing and Stationery Department.
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