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Apple issue to dominate monsoon session
Politics adding to growers’ problems
Govt ensuring smooth transportation of apple: Gulab Singh
BJP holds protest outside CBI office
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I-Day Function Chief Minister PK Dhumal addresses a gathering on the occasion of the Independence Day at Karsog in Mandi district on Sunday. Photo: Mahesh Chander Sharma
Modern marketing yard at Theog
Cong assails CM over bad roads
Doctors to decide future action today
Medical officers’ body seeks CM’s intervention
Retd engineers resent delay in revision of pension
Truckers rue lack of work at JP plant
Man feared washed away
Vets ask govt to concede demands
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Apple issue to dominate monsoon session
Shimla, August 16 Marketing of record crop of over 3 crore boxes has become a headache for growers because of bad roads and shortage of trucks and the issue is being raised strongly by the party outside the House. Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes is herself a leading apple grower and is fully aware of the woes of the growers. The state has been having bumper crops in the past too but situation has never been so bad. The transport infrastructure in the upper Shimla region, the heart of apple belt, has virtually collapsed because of damaged roads, landslips and shortage of trucks as operators are not willing to send their vehicles to the area because of dismal road conditions. It is a major issue which the party will raise in the House, she says. The issue of illegal commission being charged by agents in the Delhi market will also be raised and the Congress maintains that the BJP has politicised the issue to gain mileage. However, even after the Delhi High Court judgment there has been no change in the situation and sale-proceeds slips are being issued after deducting the commission. The issue raised by contract doctors who have started a stir in support of their demands will also echo in the House. The contract medical officers are enraged over the decision of the government to make recruitment on regular basis without first regularising their services. Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh says the decision seems to be motivated and will create more problems in the Health Department. The stir of contract doctors has been affecting services. Important legislative business will also be transacted during the session and the State Cabinet has already cleared the Bill to set up a regulatory authority to oversee the functioning of private educational institutions, including universities. Besides the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Bill, the State Judicial Officers’ (Pay Allowances and Conditions of Service) Act Amendment Bill and the State Prohibition of Cow Slaughter (Amendment) Bill will also be introduced. |
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Politics adding to growers’ problems
Shimla, August 16 Despite a bumper crop and over 1 crore apple boxes having been transported to various fruit markets, the apple growers are facing a lot of hardship in transporting their produce to the market. Loaded trucks moving at snail’s pace and constant traffic jams on the Shimla-Theog-Hatkoti road connecting the apple growing belt to rest of the country has delayed transportation. To make matters worse, the truck operators from the adjoining states are hesitant to give their vehicles, considering the poor road condition resulting in high wear and tear and huge running cost. Government officials on the other hand claimed that the movement of apple trucks was smooth and till August 15 one crore boxes had been transported by engaging 19,000 trucks. With inordinate delay in completion of work on the Theog-Hatkoti road being executed by a Chinese firm, apple transportation has definitely been hit. The road condition is appalling adding to the misery of the apple growers. Not wanting to miss out at the opportunity to hit out at the ruling party for poor arrangement, the Congress has said the BJP regime has failed to protect the interest of the growers. “The government has failed to improve the road condition and a situation has arrived where traffic jams on the Kufri-Theog-Hatkoti road remains not for hours but for days altogether,” said HPCC general secretary Kuldeep
Rathore. Accusing the Congress of indulging in petty politics at the cost of apple growers, three BJP legislators --- Suresh Bhardwaj
(Shimla), Khushi Ram Balnatah (Rohru) and Rakesh Verma (Theog) --- said this was only harming the growers. “The misinformation campaign launched by the Congress is discouraging the truck operators to send their vehicles for apple transportation as a result of the growers are facing problems,” they added. They claimed that despite inclement weather conditions, all arrangements had been made by the government to keep the roads open and ensure availability of trucks to the growers. |
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Govt ensuring smooth transportation of apple: Gulab Singh
Shimla, August 16 Presiding over the district-level 64th Independence Day function here, he said maintenance of roads was being carried out in the apple-growing areas on a priority so that growers did not face any inconvenience in transporting their produce. He said the road network was being fast expanded and the state today had 33,000 km of road as compared to 240 km in 1948. During the current financial year alone Rs 1,300 crore was being spent on roads. The Shimla district had 5,014 km of road out of which 429 km connecting 121 villages was constructed during the past two years. An amount of Rs 51 crore was being spent in the district during the current year. He also awarded best panchayats at district and block-level under the “Maharishi Balmiki Samproon Swachhta
Puruskar” and honoured the police personnel who helped the victims of bus accident at
Nerwa. Leader of Opposition Vidya Stokes, MLAs Suresh Bhardwaj and Khushi Ram
Balnatah, vice-chairman HIMUDA Ganesh Dutt, and Mayor Madhu Sood were among those percent on the occasion. Chief Justice Kurian Joseph unfurled the national flag at the Independence Day function in the high court in the presence of all judges. The public sector Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam also organised a function which was presided over by its chairman-cum-managing director HK
Sharma. SOLAN: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Ramesh Chand Dhawala unfurled the national flag and took salute of an impressive parade presented by the contingents of police, Home Guards and NCC on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations at Kunihaar on Sunday. The minister said the government was committed towards the welfare and development of common man in the state. Besides spending huge amounts on developmental works, the government was also spending substantial amount on providing subsidised food to the common man and Rs 210 crore had been spent during the past two years in the state as subsidy to provide subsidised ration to the
people. DALHOUSIE: Presiding over the district-level Independence Day celebrations at Banikhet on Sunday, IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi paid tributes to the martyrs of freedom struggle. He said the brave sons of Himachal Pradesh had made supreme sacrifices right from the struggle of Independence to the Kargil War. He said the state government was fully committed to the welfare of ex-servicemen and war widows. The minister said the state government was going to launch a free ambulance service which would reach the doorsteps of the people within half-an-hour to provide emergency services for better
healthcare. BILASPUR: The state government is providing social security pension worth Rs 100 crore this year to 2,52,084 eligible persons like widows, handicapped and elderly people. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said this while presiding over the district-level Independence Day function at Ghumarwin on Sunday. Earlier, she unfurled the national flag and took salute from an impressive march past of police, Home Guards, NCC and Scouts and
Guides. KANGRA: Speaker Tulsi Ram paid tributes to martyrs who played a pivotal role to attain freedom of the country and said the district was proud of receiving first Param Vir Chakra by Major Soom Nath Sharma. He was addressing the district-level function on the occasion of Independence Day at the local Municipal Stadium here on Sunday. He said that the state had attained 85 per cent literacy which was 8 per cent in 1948. Shepherd Sharan Dass from Bandla village of Palampur was also awarded a citation and cash for his contribution in taking out the body of a Russian pilot from the most difficult terrains of the Dhauladhar mountain
range. KULLU: The Independence Day was celebrated at Mela Maidan in Ani, 200 km from here, with gaiety and
fervour. Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor took salute from the contingents of police,
ITBP, Home Guards, NSS and Scouts. Kapoor called upon the youth to emulate the sacrifices of martyrs and maintain communal harmony. He said promoting the spirit of nationalism and patriotism among younger generation would be a real tribute to the heroes who had sacrificed their lives to make the country independent. |
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BJP holds protest outside CBI office
Shimla, August 16 The protest was led by state BJP chief Khimi Ram Sharma accompanied by senior party leaders and legislators. “There was a time when people had immense faith in the CBI which unfortunately today has come to be known as Congress Bureau of Investigation, being used by the UPA regime to hit back at its political opponents,” said Khimi Ram. The state BJP chief said whether it was managing the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition, blackmailing its political rivals or defaming the Gujarat government led by Narender Modi, the Congress has misused the CBI. “The BJP has always advocated maintaining the impartial nature of premiere institutes like the CBI but unfortunately the Congress has used it to the hilt for fulfilling its political motives,” he regretted. Those who took part in the demonstration included party legislators, Suresh Bhardwaj, Khushi Ram Balnatah, Tejwant Negi, state general secretary, Ram Swaroop Sharma, vice-president, Roopa Sharma, Ganesh Dutt and Ashok Kapatia. |
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I-Day Function
Mandi, August 16 He also announced that all OPDs in government hospitals would give 38 medicines free of cost for below poverty line
(BPL) families. The Chief Minister made these announcements at the state-level Independence Day celebrations at Karsog after he unfurled the Tricolour and took the salute of march past presented by police, Home Guards and
NCC. Dhumal went on to announce that each panchayat would have a “Krishak
Mitra” that would act as a link between the Agriculture Department and farmers to impart training in farming techniques and educating them about various government schemes. He said under the “Shepherd Samridhi
Yojna”, each shepherd in Kangra, Chamba and Mandi districts would get an assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh to buy 40 sheep and two male sheep and get 33 per cent as subsidy. For maternity and newborn care, the government will provide free delivery services to expectant mothers in 75 hospitals round the clock and also extend the services to 150 hospitals by March next, he
added. Dhumal said the government would spent Rs 4 crore under the “Students Health
Programme” to identify serious diseases at the early stage and ensure its treatment. He said the government had set up a target of harnessing 17,000-MW of power by the end of 13th five-year plan. The eco-friendly industry with investment worth Rs 12,500 crore has been attracted for the past two years and has given approval for setting up of 3,157 industrial units that will employ one lakh people, he claimed. |
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Modern marketing yard at Theog
Shimla, August 16 Possibilities of improving any of the existing alternate routes would also be explored for smooth plying of loaded trucks. Marketing network was being strengthened in the state and modern marketing yards had been constructed in Parwanoo, Solan, Bhattakufar and other important stations. He dedicated and laid foundation stones of several developmental schemes in the area which included inauguration of Rs 1.08 crore Lift Water Supply Scheme at Majhar, Rs 1.19 crore Tikkar Alue Lift Water Supply Scheme and 10-km Bhekhlti-Dharech-Gwech road completed at a cost of Rs 2.10 crore. He laid the foundation stone of ITI building to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.62 crore and Rs 32 lakh parking lot. He said the decision not to charge market fee in Delhi markets from growers was taken by the then Chief Minister late Sahib Singh Verma in 2001 but successive governments failed to implement it. His government had to approach the court for its implementation. The Chief Minister said Bhalkhu road between Mashobra and Bhekhalti would be jointly improved by PWD and forest departments as an alternative road so that heavy vehicles could be made to ply through one-way route. |
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Cong assails CM over bad roads
Shimla, August 16 General secretary of the party Kuldeep Rathore said the Chief Minister chose not to drive through the national highway to avoid traffic jams near Kufri and instead took a link road via Bakhelti. Despite this the government had been claiming that roads were open and that traffic was moving smoothly. |
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Doctors to decide future action today
Shimla, August 16 The contractual doctors today said they were not satisfied with the assurance given by the government that 150 doctors would be regularised thorough the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). “Many of us have already served for five years and not by appearing before the HPPSC we will lose out precious seniority,” said Dr Vikas Thakur, in charge of the media cell of the JAC. He said the contractual doctors welcomed regular appointment through the HPPSC but this should be applicable to the new recruitment. “Why should we compete with other doctors, including those from outside the state, and lose out on our seniority,” he said. Dr Thakur said the contractual doctors would further harden their stand and intensify the agitation in case the government did not consider their sympathetic demands. “Since our responsibility while in service is practically all 24 hours, the period for regularisation for us should be two years and not eight or six years as is the case in other services,” he said. He said despite holding a series of talks with the government, the doctors were not satisfied and the future course of action would be decided tomorrow when all the office-bearers meet in the state capital. |
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Medical officers’ body seeks CM’s intervention
Bilaspur, August 16 They urged him to look into the genuine grievances and remove them
at the earliest so that normalcy returns to the health institutions in the state. State association joint secretary Dr Anupam Badhan said the appeal was made in an emergent meeting of the association here today under the chairmanship of district president Dr NK Sankhyayan. The meeting adopted a resolution urging the government to take suitable steps to regularise services of these agitating doctors and to end their agony and uncertainty regarding their future
and also protect their seniority. The resolution demanded that they should be given benefit of serving people of the state even in far-flung areas and should not be punished by adopting techniques which would be harmful to their service interests. |
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Retd engineers resent delay in revision of pension
Shimla, August 16 The affected diploma engineers have been running from pillar to post to secure the benefit and they have met and submitted representations right from the chairman of the board to the Chief Minister, who also holds the power portfolio, but there has been no action in the matter. They brought to their notice the fact that the pre-revised pay scale of Rs 15,350-21,600 had not been included in any fixation table although the board had duly notified 39 pay scales awarded in deviation from the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) along with 50 categories which have been granted higher pay scales than that of the PSEB to benefit individuals but left out the pay scales of senior diploma engineers. One of the 200 affected engineers, RL Justa, who remained general secretary of state diploma engineers’ association, said the documents obtained under the Right to Information Act revealed that the Cabinet had already decided that in cases where pay scales had been given in deviation from the PSEB they would be placed in the corresponding revised pay scale and as such there was no need to refer the matter to the government. The revised pay scales were implemented eight months ago but the retired diploma engineers had been denied the benefit so far as the Finance Department had been raising one irrelevant objection after other. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene into the matter and direct the concerned authorities to decide the matter immediately and include the pre-revised pay scale in the fitment table-21. |
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Truckers rue lack of work at JP plant
Solan, August 16 “We had bought about 1,100 trucks after the management of the company presented a demand for about 650 multi-axle truck. It was decided to buy simple trucks keeping in view monetary condition and employability of accommodating more people after considering the demand put forth by the company,” said Nathu Ram Chauhan, a local transporter. He added that though the plant had become functional in February, work generated till now was adequate for merely 200 to 300 trucks. Additional loading work for Panipat has been made available from this month, where 300 trucks were used after they raised a hue and cry for getting little work. The locals, who had taken loans from financial institutions, were unable to pay instalments for months. They had become defaulters failing to get work and according to an estimate, at least 10 to 15 per cent of them were unable to repay bank instalments. “We are now banking on the company’s promise of making adequate work available from the next month and truckers are somehow trying to cope up till then by picking up transportation work of apples,” added Chauhan. Congress Block president Sanjay Awasthy said if the people would have been aware of gradual increase in work, they would have bought trucks after generation of commensurate work. Moreover, the poor management in allotting transportation work led to frequent traffic jams between Bagha and Kharsi as the road was being used as a truck yard. This created problems for the locals in commuting. However, JP Cements director KP Sharma said the plant would hike its production from the present 4,000 to 6,000 bags per day to 12,000 bags per day by October and as against 350 to 500 trucks being used, now about 1,000 trucks would be pressed into service. Negating the claim of the truckers, he said they had shown undue haste in buying trucks, adding that an individual who was supposed to buy just one truck had bought as many as 7 to 8 trucks and this had created financial problems for them. |
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Man feared washed away
Kangra, August 16 Kangra DSP Jeet Singh Thakur said an Alto car (HP-19-9255) driven
by its owner Ashwani Kumar (36), a resident of Una, fell into the khud near the old Kangra bridge in the wee
hours today. When the police reached on the spot, it found the car in the khud but Ashwani was missing. The DSP said that it seemed from circumstantial evidences that Ashwani might have jumped out of the car following the accident and might have been washed away in the water. He said Ashwani was serving in the Merchant Navy and was on way to Paprola where his wife was serving as a staff nurse in a hospital. |
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Vets ask govt to concede demands
Hamirpur, August 16 President and general secretary of the association Dr DK Soni and Dr Amit Mahajan, respectively, said, “They were of the view that their struggle for their demands is against the state government and the professionals should not take any decision which may cause inconvenience to the public, but it seems the state government reacts to pressure tactics only and they would be forced to adopt such methods.” They said, “Though the veterinarians have been working whole-heatedly to propagate dairy development project being launched by Chief Minister PK Dhumal and the Mukhya Mantri Arogya Pashudhan Yojana but they are still not paid their due while the government is conceding the demands of medical officers, who have resorted to strike.” Demanding relaxation in experience for regularisations of their jobs they have also demanded parity with medical doctors in this matter and have demanded six years’ term for regularisation of their jobs at par with medical doctors. Ruing the state government’s alleged apathy towards their demands the veterinary doctors have urged the state government to fulfil their long-pending demands and treat them at par with medical doctors. |
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Students collect money
Shimla, August 16 |
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8.6 kg of charas seized
Kullu, August 16 |
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Accusing the UPA regime of misusing the premiere investigating agency, CBI, for settling score with its political opponents, the ruling BJP today held a demonstration outside the office of the CBI here with black strips tied around their mouth.
Mandi, August 16
