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4 Tibetans escape to tell their woes
Cabinet berth
Induction to benefit state: CM
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Supporters celebrate
Medical Reimbursement
Eye camp at Mandi
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4 Tibetans escape to tell their woes
Dharamsala, May 28 Tsering Gyurmey from Karze county in Tibet said he participated in the demonstrations against the Chinese government on March 18 last year. “The Chinese police opened fire on the protesters that left many injured. I escaped unhurt,” he added. “However, on May 7, I came to know that an arrest warrant had been issued against me,” he said. Gonpo (41) said he also had to escape as his name figured on the “wanted” list of the Chinese authorities for participating in protests there. Tsewang Dhondupa, who ran a small business in Lhasa, said he was shot at twice there. Fearing for his life, he decided to escape to India. Brother of Tsewang, Lobsang, also escaped to India with him. |
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Cabinet berth
Shimla, May 28 The development was most significant for his supporters as it signalled the return of five-time chief minister, who was virtually sidelined by the high command after the party lost the 2007 assembly polls in the state, to the centre stage. Expectations were high and the veteran leader would be hard-pressed to fulfil the promises. With Virbhadra Singh occupying the centre stage the political equations in the state, particularly within the Congress, were set to change. It is for the first time the state has two nominees in the Union Cabinet but both were arch political rivals. The state could gain tremendously from the presence of Anand Sharma and Virbhadra Singh in the highest decision-making body but much will depend how they pull on. If they sink differences and work unitedly the party will gain strength and the state and the people will benefit. However, there will be problems if the factional war is aggravated further. It will be interesting to see what approach Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal adopts towards his bete noir Virbhadra Singh whose role will crucial in determining the direction of state-Centre relations in the new set-up. Having made discrimination against the state by the UPA regime a major poll issue, Dhumal may have to do some repositioning. Relationships between the leaders of the rival parties become important in such situations. In the past the going has not been smooth even when the same party was in power both at the Centre and in the state. Union telecom minister Sukh Ram remained at loggerhead with the then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh all through his tenure. More or less same story was repeated during the BJP rule when Shanta Kumar was a member of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ministry and Dhumal was heading the government in the state. Now that rival parties in power are at the Centre and the state it will be interesting to see how new political equations work out.
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Induction to benefit state: CM
Shimla, May 28 Dhumal said it was a matter of great pride that two MPs from a small state like Himachal were members of the Union Cabinet and more importantly were Cabinet ministers. “The people of the state are optimistic that all pending issues before the Centre will be redressed as now there are two Cabinet ministers and MPs to plead the hill state’s case,” he said. He said issues like restoration of special industrial package till 2013, rail network expansion and abolition of the recruitable male population
(RMP) should be taken up with the Centre. “Issues like one rank-one pension must be addressed as thousands of ex-servicemen and soldiers will benefit in the state,” he said. The state BJP chief said he was confident that Virbhadra Singh would rise above the party politics to ensure that the state gets maximum possible benefit in the form of financial help and mega projects from the
Centre. |
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Supporters celebrate
Mandi, May 28 A show of dance and music was organised here while the swearing in ceremony was being telecast live from New Delhi. Sweets were also distributed among all those who visited the venue. Thanking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, state president of the party Kaul Singh Thakur said making two cabinet ministers from the small state of Himachal was a historic step. He lauded the party high command for reposing faith in the people of Himachal. Meanwhile, HP State Dalit and Minority Social Reforms president AG Sheikh has welcomed the induction of Virbhadra Singh in the Union Cabinet. However, he expressed reservation saying the high command could also have inducted a Muslim MP as minorities had turned to the Congress. Officials of the Congress-supported INTUC and the NSUI have also thanked the Congress high command for making two cabinet ministers from Himachal. Meanwhile, former telecom minister Sukh Ram said the people expectations from the two cabinet ministers, Virbhadra Singh and Anand Sharma, had increased as it was for the first time that two such posts had been given to Himachal. Addressing a press conference at his residence today, he thanked Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for the move. He said earlier he had a “difference of opinion” with Virbhadra Singh, but now he had no reason to oppose him at the Centre or in the state as he had left active politics. When quizzed on the formation of the
HVC, Sukh Ram seemed on the defensive. He said he joined the BJP-HVC government due to compulsions, but he had always believed in the ideology of the Congress. Ducking questions on pending court cases, he said he would talk about the issue at a right time in future. |
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Medical Reimbursement
Shimla, May 28 This is one of the methods being deliberated upon by the secretariat administration to check the huge amount that the government has to foot for extending medical reimbursement facility to its employees. The step is one of the many methods being considered to ensure that it is the medicines and not some other stuff that is being purchased in the name of medicines. As part of the exercise initiated by the secretariat administration, a list of around 60 employees has been prepared who have been claiming reimbursement of medical bills every month for roughly the same amount. “There is every reason for doubt and suspicion as it is known through other channels that they are submitting bills of medicines while in reality they are purchasing cosmetics and toiletries, which are also available with the chemists,” said a senior officer. The secretariat administration has been forced to undertake such an exercise after it became obvious that a large section of the employees were indulging in this kind trickery. “In case we are able to put a check on the misuse of medical reimbursement facility, the new procedure could be brought into force for all sate government employees,” sources said. Another suggestion being considered is to display the list employees in the secretariat whose medical bills seem to be too inflated. “Though the bills of majority would be genuine, there is also a section of employees who are misusing he facility to the hilt,” said an officer. “In a attempt to check misuse of government money in the form of medical bills, there was also a proposal to restrict chemists from keeping cosmetics and toiletry items,” said one of the officers. However, keeping in view the impracticality of the suggestion and the many legal wrangles involved, the idea to ban chemists from keeping cosmetics was abandoned. The government is expected to take a harsh decision to check misuse of government money shortly.
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Eye camp at Mandi
New Delhi, May 28
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