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Rise in mercury causing forest fires
Now LJP candidate holds road show
Furore over death of 2 kids
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Sonia tries to burst BJP’s
discrimination bubble
Virbhadra turns star campaigner
6 HPU students arrested
Varsity expels two students
Resentment over poll duties
Hamirpur Seat
Narrow escape for 4 passengers
Nadda urges villagers to check forest fires
Thieves decamp with jewellery
5th pay panel report opposed
UPA govt failed on all fronts: CM
Rohtang Pass reopens
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Rise in mercury causing forest fires
Palampur, May 2 Despite tall claims made by the state government and plans initiated to check the forest fires, the precious forest wealth has been going up in flames. Although before the onset of summer the forest department had taken various preventive measures like creation of fire lines, removing of pine needles from roadside, restoration of old paths and controlled burning of frosts, these too proved ineffective in the absence of adequate funds, manpower and equipment. Official sources said the forest department needed over Rs 10 crore to check the forest fires all over the state, but the department was getting only Rs 1 to 2 crore annually, which was inadequate for fighting with the problem. A senior officer of the department said most of the fires had been reported from The chances of fires in other forests are,
however, limited. Meanwhile, reports reaching here said forest fires had destroyed thousands of trees at Bindravan, Kandi, Alampur, Rantital, Baijnath, Kangra, Dhara Gopipur and Nurpur areas.
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Now LJP candidate holds road show
Palampur, May 2 His road show started on an impressive note (in terms of vehicles that accompanied him) from his native village, near Palampur, this morning. Chauhan said he would tour all 17 assembly constituencies during his tour and gather small corner meeting wherever he would find crowd. He said, “I am urging the people to choose between candidates and not the party. I am a better candidate than the Congress and the BJP nominees. Even without being in power I am going to start a potato chips factory, near Palampur, with an investment of Rs 15 crore.” The factory would benefit thousands of potato farmers of Kangra and adjoining district who would find ready market for their produce. He also claimed that he lobbied with Union Minister for Steel Ram Vilas Paswan to bring SAIL plant in the Indora area of Kangra district. Chauhan claimed that he managed to bring industry to provide employment to people without being in power. However, if elected to power he would bring more investors to Kangra district. He also said LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan would come to Kangra district on May 10 and address rallies in various parts of the district. Earlier, BJP candidate Rajan Sushant has also organised a road show in the Dharamsala area. The Congress has also planned a road show of Rahul Gandhi in the district in coming days. The politicians in the state are increasingly resorting to road shows as they are finding it hard to gather audiences for bigger rallies due to increasing temperature and harvesting season.
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Furore over death of 2 kids
Kangra, May 2 Relatives of the victims led by former Congress MLA Surender Kaku raised anti- administration slogans and held demonstration for the alleged negligence of doctors. The ruckus and protest continued for more than two hours. Kaku also argued with medical superintendent Dr Bhano Awasthi on the issue. The protesters alleged that the two children were not attended properly nor were referred to other specialised hospital. The police was deployed at the hospital and Kangra DSP Omapati Jamwal kept an eye on the law and order situation. The situation was defused only after three of the relatives discussed the matter with the Dr Awasthi, in the presence of mediapersons, who explained to them the efforts the doctors made to save the children. He told them that he had personally supervised the treatment of the two accident victims, which they accepted. Meanwhile, Dr Awasthi lodged a complaint against Surender Kaku and others for allegedly disturbing peace and tranquillity of the hospital. Kangra District Police Chief Atul Fulzele said a case has been registered against Kaku and others for rioting and threat under Sections 147, 148, 149 and 506 of the IPC. Meanwhile, work remained paralysed at the OPD of the Tanda hospital today, except emergency services, following a strike by doctors in protest against the alleged harassment of doctors by attendants of patients and their misbehaviour with the hospital staff. Following assurance the doctors called off their strike this evening. President of the Teachers Association of Medical College, Tanda, Dr Ram Krishen Abrol said miscreants under the garb of attendants of the patients harass and misbehave with the doctors and hospital staff and use derogatory language.
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Sonia tries to burst BJP’s
discrimination bubble
Shimla, May 2 Addressing an election rally at the historic ‘Ridge Maidan’ she said the UPA government had been more than fair to the non-Congress governments and it was surprising that the BJP was making discrimination an issue in a state which had received the lion’s share in central funds. Citing figures she said during UPA regime the state received total assistance of Rs 23,000 crore as against Rs 13,000 crore given by the NDA government. It was a sufficient proof, if any needed, to rebut the BJP charge. Striking an emotional chord with the people she said the Nehru family had a special bond with the state and successive Congress regimes had accorded special consideration to the state in the matter of development. It set up projects like Nathpa Jhakri which paved the way for speedy exploitation of the vast hydroelectric potential of the state. The UPA government had sanctioned a number of mega projects like a central university, IIT, medical college and also implemented the horticulture technology mission to help farmers of the state. She said the BJP government should ponder over its own performance in the state, which reflected total indifference to the problems of the people. The farmers could not take their produce to the market because of the failure of the government to make arrangements and thousands of teachers had been sacked. Apart from state-specific issues, the Congress president also focussed on national issues like terrorism and communalism. She used the ‘Kandhar’ episode to attack the BJP and said that a party with such weak leadership could not steer the country in these difficult times. The country needed a strong and stable government and it was a generally accepted view that the Congress was the only party in a position to deliver. In contrast, the BJP was in a state of flux and every leader seems to be
eyeing |
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Virbhadra turns star campaigner
Shimla, May 2 Unable to campaign for Congress candidates outside Mandi constituency from where he is contesting, Virbhadra Singh today used the occasion to seek votes for Shandil. Sonia Gandhi too made it a point to specifically mention the names of Virbhadra and Shandil as she appealed to the people to make them victorious by huge margins. Virbhadra Singh who got thunderous applause from the people when he rose to speak said that Congress was not fighting the four BJP candidates alone but the BJP regime in Himachal and the entire official machinery which was being misused. The HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur said that the BJP was misleading the public on the issue of discrimination by the UPA regime with Himachal Pradesh. “It is the Congress-led UPA regime which gave the IIT, central university, ESI hospital and medical college and passport office to the hill state,” he said. CLP leader Vidya Stokes said the Nehru-Gandhi family had great love and affection for Himachal and they ensured that it emerged as a model hill state. Union minister of state for external affairs and information and broadcasting, Anand Sharma said that at a time when the country was faced with several challenges, Dr Manmohan Singh had provided a stable government as a result of which India had been impacted least by the global recession.
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Sidelights
Sonia Gandhi left everyone impressed with her brief but very pertinent speech as she touched the most important state specific issues like BJP accusation of discrimination by UPA regime, removal of PTA teachers and failure of Dhumal regime to implement the recommendations of the Sixth
Pay Commission.
With the paucity of time, the task of whispering into every speaker’s ear to be brief and wind up his speech had been assigned to in charge of Congress affairs in Himachal
Pradesh, Mohsina Kidwai. While Virbhadra Singh’s speech was brief and crisp, Kidwai had to tell Vidya Stokes who was rushing through her written speech to wind up. Himachal is endowed with such natural beauty that after coming here one does not feel like going back, she said as people applauded. Sonia who was attired in a blue salwar-kurta was welcomed by traditional pahari musical instruments. The UPA chairperson could not control her own giggle when in her address she said that these days there was a new ‘fashion’ where everyone is saying that he wants to be the prime minister. It was Virbhadra Singh who received the maximum applause from the impressive gathering every time he waived to them or he rose
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6 HPU students arrested
Shimla, May 2 The action has been taken following a request by the university authorities to the police that a case may be registered against the students who were creating hurdles and disrupting classes, affecting studies. The SFI activists led by the SCA president had disrupted traffic and classes on the morning of April 30 at the Summer Hill Chowk. Those arrested include Shikha Chauhan, Naresh Sarwal, Munish Sharma, Mohinder Rana, Jasbir and Surinder Verma. “We have registered a case against the six under Sections 353, 147, 148 and 149 of the IPC for rioting and use of force against a public servant while he was discharging his duty,” said SP RM Sharma. The arrested will be produced in the court tomorrow. He said despite the high court directives that there should be no agitations, which disrupt classes or vitiate the academic atmosphere, various student outfits had been holding protests. “We have also urged the HPU authorities to take action or initiate contempt proceedings against all such students who are disrupting classes,” he said.
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Varsity expels two students
Shimla, May 2 The decision was taken by Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta at a meeting held
here today. He said keeping in view their repeated involvement in various acts of indiscipline and thereby disrupting the academic atmosphere of the university, this decision had been taken. While Sarwal is a student of MCA, Munish is doing MTech. It was on April 30 that the SFI had blocked traffic as its activists had assembled at the Summer Hill
Chowk. This had led to disrupting of classes and vitiating the academic atmosphere at the university.
The VC also held talks with office-bearers of the Students Central Association (SCA) to discuss demands raised by them. He assured them that 29 demands would be accepted in a time-bound manner.
The lone demand rejected was revoking conduct probation of the two expelled students.
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Resentment over poll duties
Shimla, May 2 Most of the scientists who were in the rank of professor are feeling aggrieved as they have been assigned the duty of presiding officers, while much junior officers of the state government like assistant engineers and executive officers have been made sector officers. The matter was brought to the notice of the Chief Electoral Officer in the last week of March soon after duties were assigned. The scientists also met the District Election Officer (DEO), Solan, but no measures have been taken. What anguished the scientists most was that the DEO cancelled the duties of about 200 persons but made it a point not to cancel their duties. Central observer BN Gahlot was also approached but nothing had been done. The scientists alleged that the general principle of administration was not being followed while assigning duties as a result of which officers in higher pay scale had been assigned the lower duties. To substantiate their point to the higher authorities, the scientists had also sought information on these points under the RTI Act, which had not been supplied so far. They have now approached the Chief Election Commissioner and urged him to intervene and ensure that they were not humiliated in this manner. They have drawn attention to the order of the Supreme Court as per which teachers were not supposed to be put on the election-related work as far as possible and if unavoidable then it should not be during the academic session and working days. They also pointed out that many employees, who have performed the duties in Assembly election in 2007, have not received their TA bills till date.
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Hamirpur Seat
Hamirpur, May 2 The contest this time is more significant since the Congress has fielded Narinder Thakur, son of former BJP leader Jagdev Chand Thakur, against sitting MP Anurag Thakur, son of Chief Minister PK Dhumal. Out of the total 13 contests till now, the Congress had dominated the outcome of the elections during the initial years and won the seat five times and later, the BJP won the seat seven times, with the Janata Party winning the seat once in 1977. The first election to the Hamirpur seat was held in 1967 in which Congress candidate PC Verma had defeated Jagdev Chand Thakur, contesting on the Jan Sangh ticket. In 1971, Narain Chand Prashar of the Congress again defeated him. In 1977, Ranjeet Singh, riding on the Janta Party wave, defeated Prashar by over 50,000 votes. However, in 1980, Prashar avenged his defeat by defeating Ranjeet Singh by over 70,000 votes. The BJP, which entered the electoral contest for the Hamirpur parliament seat by fielding PK Dhumal in 1984, had to face defeat at the hands of Congress candidate NC Prashar by a margin of over 1.25 lakh votes. However, Dhumal went on to win the next two elections in 1989 and 1991, defeating Prashar by 32,000 and 3,000 votes, respectively. Dhumal again had to face defeat in 1996 at the hands of Vikram Singh Katoch of the Congress.
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Narrow escape for 4 passengers
Bilaspur, May 2 His government vehicle, a Gypsy (HP03-0439), in which they were travelling on tour to the Naina Devi area, suddenly caught fire and was totally destroyed at Ghade Ka Ghat, near Guru Ka Lahore. According to reports, the driver of the vehicle saw smoke coming out of the engine and stopped it for checking. Incidentally, Varma and all other occupants came out of the vehicle and were surprised when it suddenly flared up the next moment. Suharghat HOD Satish Sharma, Satinder Kumar from Doordarshan Shimla apart from the driver were other occupants of the jeep. All attempts to extinguish the fire and to save the vehicle proved futile. A case has been registered in this regard.
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Nadda urges villagers to check forest fires
Bilaspur, May 2 They should also take precautions to extinguish any such fire immediately if noticed and help the department in controlling it. In a statement to mediapersons here today, he said it was the duty of every citizen to protect our precious forest wealth. Nadda said the continued dry spell and now the scorching sun had increased several times the possibility of forest fires due to the very nature of these forests, particularly those of pine trees and bushes.
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Thieves decamp with jewellery
Bilaspur, May 2 The incident came to light this morning when owner of the shop Trilok Chand of Ladda village opened his shop and found everything scattered and rear door of the shop was also broken. The thieves had allegedly used iron rods to break open the back door of the shop and later also broke open the cupboard and locker kept in the shop. |
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5th pay panel report opposed
Sundernagar, May 2 President of the association Vinod Chaudhary has urged the Punjab and the state governments to look into the matter and provide proper scale to various categories of prosecutors as demanded in a representation submitted to the commission. In a statement issued by Chaudhary here today, the association has shown resentment over the attitude adopted by the pay commission. It further stated that the commission had treated highly educated and professional class of prosecutors with other categories that were having less qualifications.
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UPA govt failed on all fronts: CM
Nurpur, May 2 Addressing an election meeting in support of BJP candidate Rajan Sushant at Kotla, near here, today, he said terrorism, unemployment, rising prices and corruption had assumed alarming proportions during the past five years and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was showing his helplessness in this connection. Lashing out at the Congress for taking credit for every scheme and development work that the state government has undertaken during the past 15 months, Dhumal said if they were so efficient why such works could not be undertaken while the Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh was in power during 2003 to 2007. “Apart from creating 26,000 job opportunities the ambitious CFL distribution scheme had been launched in the state successfully by distributing CFLs to every domestic user of electricity,” he added.
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Rohtang Pass reopens
Manali, May 2 Commander, 38, BRTF (GREF), SK Doon said a snow-clearing team from Manali and the second team from Khoksar reached the Rohtang Pass and connected the Lahaul and Spiti valley after five months. He said due to a heavy snowfall here, widening and curving work was not
complete yet and vehicular traffic would be allowed to cross the Rohtang Pass on May 7. The Border Roads’ Organisation (BRO) had launched a snow-clearing operation from March 2 on the 475-km-long Manali-Leh Highway. The opening of the Rohtang Pass for traffic will bring relief to the population of Lahaul and
Spiti. |
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a
furore late
Shimla, May 2
