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CM: Give priority to welfare schemes
644 avail state’s health plan benefits
Forest Offences
Industrial Sops |
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Nightingale Award for nurse
Chamba man keen to hang Kasab
Cong accuses agri dept of fraud
Two held for murder of minor
3 held for domestic violence
4 killed in accident
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CM: Give priority to welfare schemes
Shimla, May 13 He was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day conference of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police here today. The conference was also attended by secretaries, heads of various departments and other senior officers. He said during its two-and-a-half-year rule, several welfare programmes had been initiated. “It is time to introspect whether the desired results have been achieved and the benefits percolated to the sections concerned and above all identify the failures,” he said. Reiterating his government's resolve for accelerating the pace of development, he said roads, health and education were the key sectors, which had also been given priority by the government. “Connectivity to every village, qualitative and better educational facilities and providing better healthcare facilities at the doorsteps of the people should be ensured by implementing agencies in the right direction,” he stressed. The Chief Minister lauded the good work done in the implementation of Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samaridi Yojana. He also stressed educating the masses about the schemes so that they could derive benefits. He said revenue cases should also be decided on priority to avoid any inconvenience to the people. Dhumal said the increasing drug menace was a matter of concern and effective steps need to be taken to check it, especially among the youth. He favoured surveillance in educational institutions, besides keeping an eye on drug peddlers. He expressed concern over the slow progress with regard to removal of encroachments on government land. He said a decision was taken to regularise the encroachments of weaker sections. |
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644 avail state’s health plan benefits
Shimla, May 13 Addressing a press conference here today, Health and Family Welfare Minister Rajiv Bindal said 2.12 lakh cards had already been made and the rest would be ready by the end of the month. “Members of BPL families in possession of the smart card can avail treatment up to Rs 30,000 in case of ailments not requiring hospitalisation, while in case of critical care a cover of Rs 1.75 lakh will be provided,” he said. He said efforts were on to include workers employed under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme under the health insurance scheme. He said hospitals would be empanelled within as well as outside the state so that in case of any ailment, the smart card holder can avail treatment without spending a penny. In Kangra district, claims of almost Rs 20.80 lakh had already been availed while in Shimla this amount stood at Rs 10.25 lakh, Rs 52,000 in Hamirpur and Rs 32,000 in Solan. He said the work of making smart card was yet to be completed in Lahaul Spiti on account of weather conditions. The minister said Rs 7.63 crore had been received from the Centre for the scheme while a provision of Rs 20.15 crore had been made by the health department. He said while in case of Rs 30,000 health cover, the Centre would bear 75 per cent of the cost while the state would have to give 25 per cent share. In case of the critical care cover, the entire amount was being spent by the state from its own kitty. Bindal said efforts were on to appoint more doctors so that every primary health centre had at least one doctor. |
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Forest Offences
Shimla, May 13 As per the regulations notified today, cases pertaining to encroachment of forest land, illicit transport of resin, timber, katha and bamboo (irrespective of the magnitude), habitual offenders, illegal saw mills, possession of unaccounted timber, deliberate causing of forest fire and defacing of hammer marks will not be liable to be compounded. Petty offences (involving amount of less than Rs 2 lakh) of right holders, like illicit felling of trees for bonafide domestic requirement use, may be compounded. However, no petty offences involving illicit felling will be compounded without inquiry and investigation by an official not below the rank of Forest Ranger. Weak cases will be compounded only after examination by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) on the advice of the district attorney. Cases pertaining to illicit lopping and grazing for the purpose of fodder or fuel will be taken to court only if the accused refused to compound the offence. No case of violation of the State Land Preservation Act will be compounded, except where no element of trade is involved and unauthorised felling from private land is for bonafide domestic use and not more than five trees are involved. In case of offences committed in reserved forest, plantation or regeneration area, before sunrise and after sunset , resistance is offered during detection, unauthorised uprooting of stumps compensation and value for release of property will be charged at double the rates. The cases of damage caused by companies will be compounded only after ascertaining by an officer not below the rank of DFO that damage was unavoidable. While cases involving an amount ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh will be taken to court, those of higher amount will be assigned to the police. In cases of encroachments, FIR will be lodged with the police in offences like tampering with boundary walls, erection of permanent structure, involvement of more that 10 bighas and repeated offences. Encroachment in a protected wildlife area will always lead to registrations of FIR. With these rules in place, the lower rung forest officials will to be able to strike deals with the offenders to compound the cases. |
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Industrial Sops
Shimla, May 13 In a letter written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, they requested him to take an decision in the matter since the incentive had already lapsed on March 31, 2010. A jointly signed memorandum by both Chief Ministers has been forwarded to the Prime Minister. They referred to their meeting with the Prime Minister on May 8, 2010, with regard to restoration of key component of the package of the Central Excise Duty exemption. They said its withdrawal would jeopardise the industrial development process which was gradually gaining momentum.
Dhumal said despite different and adverse geo-physical conditions and limited sources, both hill states were endeavouring to create congenial atmosphere for industrial investment. He said boundaries of both the states were sensitive from the security point of view and over 65 per cent of its geographical area was under forest cover. He added that with limited scope for employment, almost each family had at least one member serving in the armed forces. |
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Local musical bands rock city
Dharamsala, May 13 One such band---Himalayan Band---is rocking the area these days. The band is an initiative of Lisa, an American, who got married to the owner of a vernacular paper of the state and settled here. While talking to The Tribune, Lisa said she belonged to a family of musicians in the US. “I got the idea of forming a band when I hired a few local youth to teach guitar to my children. The local lads were extremely talented. We started playing together and then established a small musical room at Dharnu village. We thereby formed the Himalayan Band. Now we have performed in almost all local restaurants and hotels.” Though not so fluent in Hindi, Lisa has mastered a few Bollywood numbers that she sings along with her group. She, however, said since most of their work was concentrated in McLeodganj and its surrounding tourists spots, they were catering mostly to the foreign tourists. This year they got a chance to perform for international cricket players during the IPL matches at Dharamsala. “Hijackers” is another famous band in Dharamsala. Interestingly, the band was formed in the late seventies by a few members of the Gorkha community of Dharamsala. The band was formed by local youth here when there were no musical channels to motivate or promote musicians. One of the members of the Hijackers Band, Mohit Chauhan, is now a famous playback singer in
Bollywood. Kuljeet da, as he is known in the area, was one of the founders of the band. Kuljeet said the band was started in 1975-76. “Initially we kept performing in local hotels and restaurants. However,we started giving stage performances in the late nineties.” Ironically, other members of the band are now mostly in government jobs. “We are now grooming new members who can take their place,” said Kuljeet. The bands groomed and nurtured by local musicians need to given a platform by the Himachal government, at least in the summer festivals organised in different parts of the state. |
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Nightingale Award for nurse
Dharamsala, May 13 It would be given every year. This year the award was given to Anjana Sharma, nurse from the Civil Hospital, Palampur. The award was given by Atma Ram, MLA. On the nurses day, he said as a welfare measure, their night duties had been reduced to three instead of seven. The staff nurses with disability would be exempted from night duties. They would be adjusted in blood bank, record room and DOT providers. — TNS |
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Chamba man keen to hang Kasab
Shimla, May 13 Belonging to the remote area of Salooni in Chamba district, 36-year-old Gindo Ram has been working as a driver in the Karchcham Wangtoo hydro-power project in Kinnuar. In a letter addressed to the President of India, he has expressed his desire to become a hangman, so that terrorists and anti-nationals could be executed. He said it was after reading reports that there was no hangman in Maharashtra that the idea came to his mind. He sent his plea to the SDM, Bhabha Nagar, Sanjay Sharma, to be forwarded to the President of India. Keen to do the service, he has requested that he should be given training in forensic science. |
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Cong accuses agri dept of fraud
Hamirpur, May 13 Talking to mediapersons here today he said, “While seed given on subsidy to farmers is of poor quality, the department has been charging different rates for the seeds of various varieties being supplied to farmers.” Sharma alleged, “While, initially, no subsidy was given on seeds to farmers, now 50 per cent subsidy is given.” The Congress leader has demanded a high-level inquiry in this matter. Meanwhile, AS Rana, deputy director, agriculture, said,“The government had ordered to grant subsidy on seeds on May 8 after which we started giving the same as per the instruction.” |
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Two held for murder of minor
Solan, May 13 The murder came to light yesterday after her semi-buried body was recovered from a field with only her head partially protruding out of the ground. The girl resided in a jhuggi near the Balad bridge and was living with her parents who were working in a nearby stone crusher. Her father Kailash, hailing from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, told the police that his daughter was sleeping with him on the cot till 3 am and it was at 5 am that he noticed her absence. The family members then started searching for the girl who was found in nearby fields with her neck slit by a sharp-edged weapon. The two youths arrested by the police were found sleeping in a nearby tractor trailer close to the spot and it was unlikely that they were unaware of the gruesome incident, confided police officers. Baddi DSP Bhagmal Thakur said since blood was found at the spot, it proved that the girl’s neck had been slit with some sharp-edged weapon. An attempt to rape had been verified in the preliminary postmortem report which was released today by the doctors. The police was, however, suspicious about the role of the parents as the spot was barely 100 m away from the jhuggi and it was intriguing as to why no one heard her cries when she was sleeping with her father. The role of the other family members, including her mother, father and two brothers was being probed, confided police officials. |
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3 held for domestic violence
Bilaspur, May 13 All the three were arrested last night under Sections 107 and 151 of the IPC after telephonic complaints were received against them by the police. SP Kapil Sharma said here today that Nikda Ram, son of Kuthu Ram of Bholi village under the Barmana police station, was arrested by the women wing of the police last night as there were persistent complaints against him. Another person Nand Lal, son of Nathu Ram of Burwaad-Behna Jattan village near here was arrested by the police last night after he was reported to have beaten his wife and children in an inebriated condition. Jagir Singh, son of Sunder Singh, of Nanawan village was also arrested after he was found drunk. |
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4 killed in accident
Shimla, May 13 The mishap occurred around 10.30 pm when the labourers were returning to their home from Dhalli. While three persons died on the spot, another succumbed to injuries in hospital today. The deceased include Rajinder Singh, Anita, Rajmani and Dil Kumari. Among the injured were 15 women and three children.
— TNS |
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Shimla, May 13
