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Warring Cong factions raise slogans
I am used to facing bouncers: Madan Lal
Hamirpur Seat |
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Ticket issue a closed chapter: Kaul Singh
Dhumal plays ‘Sukh Ram card’
Chargesheet against Dhumal regime on April 15
Cong leaders stage dharna
Casual approach towards ragging led to student’s death: Report
EPF Scam
Vivekananda trust in another row
Luhri Project to have longest twin headrace tunnels
Concern over decreasing population of vultures
Insurance firm told to pay Rs 4 lakh
1 killed, 19 hurt in mishap
Man gets life term
2 held with timber
One injured in mishap
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Warring Cong factions raise slogans
Hamirpur, March 28 A group of leaders accusing Narinder Thakur for this trouble later moved a resolution for expelling him from the party, in his absence, that, however, did not get support from vice-president of the Himchal Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) and former MLA Anita Verma, present in the meeting. It is notable that allotment of the Congress ticket from here has become a prestige issue between the two groups; while one group is defending fielding Madan Lal’s candidature and other demanding reconsideration and giving ticket to Narinder Thakur, who had joined the Congress after revolting against the BJP. The much-publicised meeting of the office-bearers almost turned into a war of slogans in the absence of HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur, CLP leader Vidya Stokes and party nominee Madan Lal. As soon as the Congress activists started assembling at the venue of the meeting at Sarvahit Sudhar Sabha tempers ran high and once leaders reached, sloganeering started. A group of supporters of Narinder Thakur wearing black bands did not allow the meeting to start and shouted down some of the leaders for about one-and-a-half hour and later were pushed out with the help of the police. Later, the meeting was held in the hall with closed doors amidst slogan shouting from outside. Later, addressing the meeting, the speakers criticised Narinder Thakur for allegedly creating trouble after denial of ticket to him and supported the nomination of Madan Lal with a resolve to work for the victory of the Congress party. However, Anita Verma said, “Though we should expel the mischief makers but issue of expulsion of party workers who had supported Narinder Thakur’s candidature should be decided with a cool mind since we have to take along party workers in the elections.” The supporters of Narinder said, “They have tried to highlight the injustice done to him and would continue to demand reconsideration on party nominee from Hamirpur.” Meanwhile, reacting on the issue, Narinder Thakur told The Tribune, “I am not aware about any such resolution as I was not present in the meeting since I was not invited. However, I would take up the issue with the state leaders if such resolution has been moved.” Commenting on the issue HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur said, “I have not received the report till now but if such resolution was moved it would be sent to disciplinary committee but we cannot expel leaders in hordes as we need their support during the elections.” |
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I am used to facing bouncers: Madan Lal
Shimla, March 28 Still getting used to the rumblings of politics, Madan Lal says it was his urge to do social work which drove him to politics. “I had always wanted to do some charity work and when the offer to contest from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat came my way, I thought it was the perfect opportunity,” says a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad. “I am used to handling bouncers by ducking and mind you at a time when I played cricket there was no limit on the number of bouncers in one over,” he said, reacting to opposition from Congressmen in Hamirpur on his candidature. “The only difference being
that at that time the team captain was Sunil Gavaskar and later Kapil Dev while now it was
Kaul Singh Thakur and Virbahdra Singh.” “I would make it a point to say that I am from Himachal when I was a member of the Indian team, which for me was a matter of great pride,” he says. When asked who was a better cricketer, he or his opponent Anurag Thakur, he said there was no comparison as then he had played for the country but now it was for the people to decide who was their leader. The cricketer says he sought the blessings of Virbhadra Singh and met him in Mandi yesterday. “He has assured his full support and agreed to campaign in my favour in Hamirpur,” he said. He said he was keen not to promote cricket alone but the larger issue was to ensure development of the state. When questioned about his forgotten link with Himachal and his ancestral place from where his grandfather had shifted to Amritsar, the cricketer says he always maintained ties with his close relations and visited his native place on and off. “All my close relatives live
here and I have always attended their marriages and other functions but it’s just that I have never made my visits a big affair,” he clarifies. |
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Hamirpur Seat
Dharamsala, March 28 Sources said the strong Rajput lobby in the state Congress is opposing the candidature of Madan Lal Sharma while the Brahmin lobby is supporting him. HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have openly stated that Madan Lal Sharma is comparatively a weak candidate. Both the leaders were favouring Narinder Thakur, an estranged BJP leader from Hamirpur, who had recently joined the Congress as party candidate from the Hamirpur constituency. So peeved are these leaders that they openly stated their resentment in media. The sources said Narinder Thakur had joined the Congress with an assurance from the state Congress leadership that he would be fielded as party candidate from Hamirpur. However, now that he had been denied the ticket, a section of the state Congress leaders are feeling let down. However, the candidature of Madan Lal Sharma has been strongly supported by other section of the Congress leadership. Former minister and senior Congress leader GS Bali in a press conference held here yesterday had flayed the leaders who are opposing Madan Lal’s candidature. He alleged that such statements were open defiance of the party high command and would demoralise workers. Congress MLA from Hamirpur Sukhwinder had also flayed the Congress leaders who were opposing Madan Lal. Former MLA OP Rattan also supported Madan Lal. From the statements issued by various leaders there seems to be clear divide in state Congress leadership on caste lines. |
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Ticket issue a closed chapter: Kaul Singh
Shimla, March 28 The Congress chief who introduced Madan Lal to the media here today said he had supported the candidature of Narinder Thakur even at the central election committee meeting (CEC) meeting as Madan Lal’s name had not figured either at the DCC or state level. “With Madan Lal being declared the candidate by the AICC the entire party will work to ensure his victory and we will undertake damage control and placate agitated party workers,” he said. Justifying his stand in supporting Narinder, the Congress chief said for the past six months he had launched an offensive against chief minister P.K. Dhumal and his son and toured many parts of Hamirpur parliamentary seat. “Many senior Congress leaders, including the three legislators, Mukesh Agnihotri, Sukhwinder Sukhu, Rakesh Kalia and former minister Ram Lal Thakur were reluctant to contest, so I felt Narinder would be a good choice,” he said. “Madan Lal has proved himself in the field of cricket but now he will prove that he is also the choice of the people,” said Thakur. Accusing Dhumal of double speak he said it was only some time back that he had expressed gratitude to the UPA regime for giving Himachal some major projects. “It is surprising how all of a sudden he has taken a U-turn and is accusing the UPA regime of giving step-motherly treatment to Himachal,” he said. |
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Dhumal plays ‘Sukh Ram card’
Mandi, March 28 The CM went on to defend Sukh Ram stating that he had always blamed certain Congressmen for his implication in the disproportionate asset (DA) case in which he was convicted by the special CBI court last month. Dhumal played the “Sukh Ram card” taking on Virbhadra Singh contesting from the Mandi seat against Maheshwar Singh while addressing the BJP workers sammelan and at the press conference he addressed after the meeting. Defending former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram, Dhumal said his party was thankful to Sukh Ram that he cooperated with the then BJP-HVC government. Virbhadra Singh is now remembering Sukh Ram’s telecom revolution, as he needs him because he is fighting election under compulsion, he claimed. Dhumal said Sukh Ram had taken a stand from day one when he was arrested by the CBI that he was a victim of conspiracy hatched by certain Congressmen. Moreover, he was convicted during the time when the Congress party was in power, Dhumal added. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Sukh Ram’s son Anil Sharma, Mandi Sadar Congress MLA, during the Congress workers sammelan here three days ago had announced publicly that after Rumpur, the Congress would get the second highest lead from Mandi Sadar. Even Sukh Ram had stated that his greatest blunder was that he joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state. Dhumal, however, was soft on the corruption issue as it was the BJP then in opposition when the party submitted the chargesheet against the Congress ministers. “We are getting the report and law will take its natural course,” he remarked at the press conference. Dhumal charged that the UPA’s promises that it would give Rs 3 kg rice and atta would not be digested by the common man as they have tasted the bitter experience of buying oil, pulses, sugar at the double and treble prices that were prevalent during the Atal Bihari led NDA government. |
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Chargesheet against Dhumal regime on April 15
Shimla, March 28 The Chargesheet Committee headed by former Assembly Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir along with four other members is in the process of preparing the document, which will be handed over to the Governor on the Himachal Day, seeking a probe. With certain information and documents yet to be received, the date for release of the document has been extended. Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Kaul Singh Thakur had set March 31 as the deadline for the submission of the chargesheet against the 14-month-old BJP government in the state. “Since information about certain allegations that figure in the chargesheet is awaited, we have decided to submit it on April 15,” he confirmed. The other members of the committee include sitting MLA’s--- Mukesh Agnihotri, Sudhir Sharma--- and former ministers ---Rangila Ram Rao and Raj Kishan Gaur. Some of the members of the committee said the main highlight of the chargesheet would be the alleged purchase of prime agricultural land by some BJP leaders with a view to giving it out to private players for the setting up of medical and other institutions. They said these purchases had allegedly been made in Solan, Palampur and McLeodganj.
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Cong leaders stage dharna
Hamirpur, March 28 Earlier, the leaders had passed a resolution against the district administration for acting on the dictates of the ruling BJP. Party leaders, including MLA Sukhvinder Singh ‘Sukhu’, former MLA Kuldeep Pathania and Anita Verma, district Congress president Sunil Sharma and others also submitted a memorandum to the DC. However, DC Abhishek Jain denied the charge and clarified that the leaders were given permission yesterday to use the bhawan since they needed some clarification on the issue. |
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Casual approach towards ragging led to student’s death: Report Shimla, March 28 This is the observation made by ADM, Kangra, in the 24-page report of the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government into the death of a first- year student at Tanda medical college. The report which was submitted to Principal Secretary (Home) has been sent to Principal Secretary, Health and Education, and to the DGP, Police, for necessary action. The report mentions that there is no recorded complaint about ragging in the college by Kachroo or any of his relative prior to this incident. The report specifically mentions that principal Dr Suresh Sankhyan is most specifically responsible for failure in taking strong action. The report, while stating that the wardens of the hostel cannot be absolved of their responsibility, states that hostel manager Dr Deepak Verma and chief warden Dr Ramesh Bharti are prima facie not guilty of negligence. The report has specifically mentioned that the security guard, Joginder Singh who was on duty in the fresher’s hostel on the intervening night of March 6-7 is definitely at fault and inaction on his part cannot be excused. In the report it has been mentioned that Kachroo was subjected to intense physical ragging in the wee hours of March 7 and the matter came to the notice of the college authorities only after a phone call by the health minister. “Even as the college authorities had begun inquiring into the matter, Kachroo died due to the injuries which the post-mortem examination report linked to the incident of ragging,’ is the observation in the report.
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EPF Scam
Mandi, March 28 The CAG report (2005-06) indicted the HPTDC for defaulting in depositing the EPF with the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC) in January 2002-March 2004. The HPTDC was penalised by the RPFC to tune of Rs 45 lakh, under the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, after issuing show-cause notices from May 28, 2003 onwards. In reply to the RPFC’s show-cause notices, the then finance manager pleaded his innocence stating, “The corporation could not deposit the EPF subscription contribution because the financial health of the corporation was bad.” The HPTDC should fix accountability in the case and take action against the erring officials as the corporation was made to suffer an avoidable loss of Rs 45 lakh, the PUC report revealed. The government, in fact, had appointed the PUC on August 5, 2008, to look into the “EPF scam” following CAG’s indictment of the corporation. The PUC found that that corporation availed a loan of Rs 125 lakh from Kangra Cooperative Bank in 2001 and the HPTDC has Rs 117 lakh with it and Rs 59.65 lakh as fixed deposits that could have been used to deposit the EPF soon after the RPFC’s notice. The penalty mounted as the HPTDC management made no efforts to avoid the loss that accrued to Rs 53 lakh, sources revealed. Surprisingly, both HPTDC’s BoD and management almost dumped the scam despite the corporation pleaded the matter with the EPF Central Tribunal, New Delhi, and the RPFC, Shimla, several times. Senior accounts manager, HPTDC, DR Gupta said the matter was under consideration of the HPTDC and action would be taken soon. HPTDC MD-cum-Commissioner, Tourism, Manisha Nanda said, “We cannot ignore the recommendation of the committee and action will be
taken soon.” |
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Vivekananda trust in another row
Mandi, March 28 As the Kangra ADM, Kangra CMO and VMRT are engaged in the blame game for supplying information to RTI activist Vinod Kumar, from the RTI Bureau, Mandi, who had sought it on January 17, but so far he had not been supplied information. According to the letters available with The Tribune, all three officials had passed the buck and did not supply information even after two months have passed. The officials have violated the RTI Act under which the PIO had to supply the desired information within 15 days. As all pleas failed the RTI applicant moved the application with the appellate authority of the RTI. The DC, who has been appointed as the appellate authority under the RTI, has summoned all three officials to appear on April 1 at the DC office, Dharamsala. The officials have been pushed into the tight spot as the VMRT has got the “government land on lease of Re 1 for building super-speciality hospital, but the government has transferred the trust land to Jaypee group to build the hospital project which allegedly violates the terms and condition of the lease agreement, the RTI bureau suspected. The RTI bureau had sought information on as to how many donations have been received by the trust and whether the land could be transferred to the private company or not. Chairman of the RTI Bureau, Mandi, Lawan Thakur said the applicant had sought information almost two months ago, but they are passing the burden on one another. “People of the state who have donated to the trust have the right to know as whether transfer of VMRT to the private company was right under the law or not,” he asserted. He said if the VMRT transfer to private company was legal than why the concerned officials are scared of supplying information to the bureau. |
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Luhri Project to have longest twin headrace tunnels
Shimla, March 28 Being constructed by the public sector undertaking Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam at a cost of Rs 4,795 crore on Sutlej river, the 775-MW project will have inclined surge galleries instead of usual vertical surge shaft. Made wiser by the problems encountered due to excessive silt in operating the country’s largest 1,500-MW Nathpa Jhakri Project, the nigam has made a provision for a 2 km tunnel for de-silting the tunnel and kept the intake point at higher level for better silt management. The tunnel will carry the silt past the 86 m high concrete dam to be constructed near Sainj. The twin tunnels, each 9 m in diameter, have been proposed to facilitate early completion and minimise the construction risk. The project has been designed to utilise the entire head available between Rampur and Kol Dam projects. The 2-km long reservoir will help in sedimentation of silt particles. The tunnels will carry water from diversion dam at Neerath to the site of underground power house at Marola village. It will generate 3,152 million units in 90 per cent dependable year and the per megawatt cost has been pegged at Rs 6.19 crore at December 2006 prices. The levelised tariff for the project will be Rs 2.53 per unit and the project will annually generate revenue of Rs 800 crore. The nigam, which has won several awards for best environment management in its projects, has made PES an integral part of the catchment area treatment (CAT) plan for the project. Apart from the macro plan for the 1920 sq km catchment, detailed micro-plans will be prepared for all 74 sub-watersheds comprising it. As much as 10 per cent of the total proposed CAT plan of Rs 42 crore will be utilised for PES. The villagers living in the catchment will be paid in cash on the basis of their contribution in protecting the forests.
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Concern over decreasing population of vultures
Palampur, March 28 A survey conducted by the state Forest Department has revealed that the situation is quite alarming as only 1,800 vultures, which is five per cent of the total population, have been left in the district by the end of 2005. However, in 1997, their population in the district was 12,000. According to wildlife experts, the main cause behind this problem is attributed to an infectious disease, “renal failure”, which is infecting every third vulture in this region. The reckless use of insecticides and pesticides by farmers is resulting in this disease, reducing its population day by day. A wildlife expert said the use of oxytocin by cattle breeders was another reason for vultures’ extinction. He said though it was synthetic hormone and banned drug in the state, it was easily available in the market at very cheaper rate. Official sources said the state government had already initiated measures for the breeding of vultures at Nalagarh. After the process, these vultures would be left in different forests in the state.
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Insurance firm told to pay Rs 4 lakh
Shimla, March 28 According to the complainant, his house was insured with the insurance company and on May 12, 2005, it was completely gutted in a fire and the insurance policy was in force at that time. On receipt of intimation regarding the fire, a surveyor was deputed by the company to assess the loss. The company offered Rs 1,17,828 as insurance amount to the complainant on the basis surveyor’s report, but the complainant refused to accept the same. The complainant filed a complaint before the consumer forum for its claim, the forum allowed the compliant and directed the company to pay Rs 4 lakh along with other damages. Feeling aggrieved from this order the company challenged this order before the commission. While dismissing the appeal filed by the insurance company the Bench headed by Justice Arun Kumar Goel (retd) observed that the surveyor had not spelt out that what was the age of the building when it was gutted. Moreover, when the agent of the company insured the building it was his duty to have satisfied himself about the nature of building and its quality of construction. The commission further observed that the complainant had got the building insured with a view to getting himself indemnified in case of any mishap, and not for being dragged to litigation. |
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1 killed, 19 hurt in mishap
Kangra, March 28 The mishap took place when the ill-fated vehicle was on its way to Mansa Mata Temple from Dhameta. The deceased has been identified as Krishena Devi (45), a resident of Dhameta. She succumbed to her injuries in the Shahpur hospital. However, 15 injured were admitted to the same hospital and four of them in a serious condition were referred to the DRPGMC, Tanda. The driver of the vehicle was also among the injured. A case has been registered. |
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Man gets life term
Kangra, March 28 Deputy District Attorney BK Marvah said the prosecution had said on December 31, 2004, that a girl at Birgurad saw Santosh Kumar hitting Vija Ram, a resident of the same village, and she communicated it to her father. Marvah said Vija Ram died of head injury. The court yesterday sentenced Kumar for rigorous imprisonment for life for the murder. The court ordered that in default of payment of fine he would have to undergo a RI for one more year. He said the accused wanted to marry the victim’s sister. However, Vija Ram refused to him and this resulted into his murder.
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2 held with timber
Mandi, March 28 According to the police, the forest guard at the barrier searched the truck and found that wooden logs of popular trees were loaded in the truck without
permit. The timber logs were being taken to a nearby village by the duo. |
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One injured in mishap
Nurpur, March 28 He was rushed to the Civil Hospital here but was later referred to the Tanda medical college. His parents, however, shifted him to a private hospital at Pathankot. According to the police, Parshotam Singh, driver of the car and a resident of Chamba, has been arrested and a case registered against him.
— OC |
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