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Cong promises to review shady land deals
‘Bentony’ may be burnt down, fears Virbhadra
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3-day-old girl abducted from Tanda hospital
Hamirpur bags maximum Nirmal Panchayat prizes
New system for HPAS examination
Transfer of Posts
‘Upgrade polytechnic into engg college’
Thieves decamp with cash, jewellery
Himachal Day function
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Cong promises to review shady land deals
Shimla, April 2 Adopting an aggressive posture, he said the three years of the BJP government had been an “unmitigated” disaster for the peaceful hill state and the only message that came loud and clear from its actions was that “Himachal is on sale, anyone interested could contact Prof PK Dhumal at Jalandhar or “Oakover” in Shimla”. The people could not take it anymore and time had come to put the brakes on the “corruption juggernaut” unleashed by Dhumal to save the state from further ruin. He declared that his only objective now was to throw out the “corrupt” regime and he would himself lead a belligerent public campaign to achieve it. He also made it clear that on coming to power the Congress would review all land transactions effected under one garb or the other to oblige outsiders at the cost of the state’s vital interests and ensure status quo-ante in respect of the dubious deals. He said the “sell out” would be probed and warned that not only the political bosses but also the officers who connived and facilitated such land transactions would be made to pay for their indiscretions. Some public-spirited Congressmen could even approach the court to stem the rot. Realtors had been allowed to build flats in the thickly forested areas in violation of all rules and norms and clearances had been granted overnight. Bulldozers and earth movers were operating in thick forests. This had favoured private parties been allotted the valuable assets of the Forest Department and enable them to start commercial ventures in the garb of eco-tourism. As many as six projects had been given to one party from Nagpur. It was common knowledge that in most cases the beneficiaries were those close
to Dhumal. Unlike past, Virbhadra Singh was not critical of the state leadership, though he maintained that issues could be raised more effectively both inside the House and in the
public domain. A thankless regime, which survived on the Central assistance and still accused the UPA regime of discriminating against the state, deserved no mercy. |
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‘Bentony’ may be burnt down, fears Virbhadra SHIMLA: Virbhadra Singh also expressed a strong apprehension that the “Bentony”, a heritage structure in the heart of the state capital, may be burnt down any day. He said the valuable property of the erstwhile Sirmour state was purchased by some private individual but as the Chief Minister he had started the process for its acquisition for setting up a museum and a park. However, the present government had scuttled the process and got vacated the premises which once housed the police headquarters. The actions of the government lent currency to the rumours that the magnificent property in the heritage zone was up for sale. Since the heritage structure could not be demolished to rebuild afresh and had to be resorted on old, one should not be surprised if it was consumed by a mysterious fire. Anything could happen under the present regime. He wanted to know why such an important landmark was not being acquired.
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3-day-old girl abducted from Tanda hospital
Kangra, April 2 He said Rajesh took the ailing child to a doctor in the hospital for a check-up, but a woman asked him to fetch some medicines for her as she was suffering from a headache. The unidentified woman offered Rajesh to take care of the child till he fetches medicines for her. The ASP said when Rajesh returned he found that the woman had gone missing and his daughter was also not traceable. He raised an alarm and informed the hospital authorities. The hospital authorities informed the police,
the ASP said. Medical superintendent of the hospital Dr SB Sood confirmed the incident and said the missing child was the second daughter of the Rajesh. He said Rajesh was giving different statements. The ASP said the police had got some clues in this child-lifting case and investigation on was in progress. He said two police parties had been rushed to trace the child. This is the first-ever child-lifting case in the Tanda hospital since its establishment. |
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People urged to join drive against graft
Dharamsala, April 2 She urged all common people of the state to join the campaign. Those who cannot go to Delhi to join the campaign can express their support by organising peaceful fasts in their respective places. She has also written to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to use his influence for generating support for the Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption. She also urged Dhumal to become the first Chief Minister of the country to join this campaign. Dr Metre, who runs the Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD) at Dharamsala, said, “Anna Hazare has dedicated his life to the well being of society. He has no processions, bank balance and lives in a temple. He has transformed barren areas in Maharashtra into green areas.” The Jan Lokpal Bill aims at appointing a Lokayukta in each state. Like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, the institution will be completely independent of the governments. No minister and bureaucrat will be able to influence its investigation. Case against corrupt people will have to be investigated by the Lokayukta within a year as per the provisions of the act. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction. If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, the guilty officials will have to pay a financial penalty which will be given to the complainant. Any person can approach the Lokpal if his ration card, passport or voter card is not being made available. The Lokpal will get such complaint redressed within a month. Any citizen can complain in the Lokpal against any kind of corruption in public funds coming to his notice, Metre said while explaining the provisions of the Lokpal Bill. She further said the government would not be able to appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members as they would be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians. If some official of the Lokpal becomes corrupt a complaint against him can be investigated and he can be removed within two months. Metre said it was strange that the government was dithering in implementing such an act that could help mitigate corruption in the country. |
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Hamirpur bags maximum Nirmal Panchayat prizes
Hamirpur, April 2 The district has already become cent per cent sanitation-free with every family living in the villages having their individual toilet. The state government has also started a special drive to provide toilets in every school and community halls and separate toilets are being provided for boys and girls. With the state government laying special emphasis on environment protection, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is also laying stress on putting a check on carbon emission. Project Officer of the DRDA Ajeet Bhardwaj said, “After the success of total sanitation drive various development agencies are now focusing on containing carbon emission as a part of state government’s drive to control carbon in Himachal.” “One of the major achievements of the total sanitation drive is that through this drive and awareness campaign a perceptible change in the behavior of rural people about the need for using their individual toilets has been observed,” he added. “The DRDA is also launching a drive to check open defecation by migrant labourers by challaning the house owner’s for not providing toilets in their house along with accommodation and asking contractors employing them to provide them toilets,” he added. The development agencies through an awareness campaign are asking people not to burn garbage etc to check carbon emission. For achieving this objective, the villagers are being trained about solid waste management techniques and segregation of degradable and bio-degradable garbage. The villagers are also been made aware to collect plastic and polythene waste material in a separate din which is being used by the PWD in road construction. Under the total sanitation programme Rs 143 lakh have been given as subsidy to construct toilets, Rs 30 lakh given to anganwadi for this purpose, Rs 34 lakh for constructing community toilets and Rs 41 lakh have been given to panchayats for solid waste management. |
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CPM protests over hike in water tariff
Shimla, April 2 Addressing the protesters, member of the state secretariat Tikender Singh Panwar, secretary of the district unit Sanjay Chauhan and other party leaders demanded immediate roll back of the hike in water tariff. They pointed out that the tariff had been increased frequently; first it was hiked by 30 per cent and twice by 10 per cent in the 2010 and 2011. Worse, the consumers were being given inflated bill even as the corporation was not able to supply adequate water to them. The party also demanded that the decision of outsourcing of water pumping and distribution be reviewed and vacant posts in various wings of the corporation be filled immediately. The people were reeling under the heavy pressure of double-digit inflation and neo-liberal economic policies were further mounting pressure in the form of hike in water tariff. Clandestine privatisation of pumping and distribution would only make the most essential item dearer. The party drew attention to the fact that the municipal bodies which had implemented such economic agenda earlier had faced a total collapse and they were forced to revert to the original system. The party threatened to intensify the agitation to force the government to reverse the anti-people policies, which were putting additional financial burden on the common man. |
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New system for HPAS examination
Shimla, April 2 There will be two papers for HPAS (Preliminary) Examination. Apart from general studies, the candidates will also have to undertake a general aptitude test. The papers will be of 200 marks each. There will be 100 multiple choice objective type questions in each paper for which the candidates will be given two hours. There will be provision for penalty for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type questions papers from this year. There will be four alternatives for the answer to every question and for each wrong answer one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty. The aptitude test will have 100 objective type (multiple choice) questions from the comprehension, interpersonal skills, including communication skills, logical reasoning and analytical ability. The syllabus has been adopted as per the UPSC pattern and also includes questions on HP. |
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Transfer of Posts
Shimla, April 2 The council which met under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta decided to introduce internal assessment of 20 marks in the O.T. classes (Shastri and Acharya) from the academic session 2011-2012 and start M.Phil in journalism, PhD in yoga and MBA in banking, insurance, entrepreneurship and other service sectors and master’s degree in finance and control at Regional Centre, Dharamsala, from the ensuing session. It decided to convert the postgraduate diploma in Human Resource Development (HRD) run by the Public Administration Department into two years master’s degree course from the next academic session and introduce an undergraduate degree course in hotel management in the Institute of Vocational Studies from 2011-2012. It also approved change in the nomenclature of MA Geography to MSc Geography and gave nod for giving a chance to BTech students who failed in sessional and other related examinations by paying Rs 2000. The council agreed in principle to allow male Himachali general category candidates to appear in examinations in private capacity, however, the fee in this regards would be decided by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of Dean of Studies. The Vice-Chancellor informed that for the first time the university had signed an agreement with the State Bank of India for online remittance of fee from the next academic session. |
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‘Upgrade polytechnic into engg college’
Chamba, April 2 Expressing resentment over the lackadaisical approach of the government, association president RK Mahajan in a representation made to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal alleged that the district had been ignored continually with regard to the higher education level, besides rail and air links. “As the district is economically backward, the issue the polytechnic be considered on priority and be converted into an engineering college for the poor students of this distant region who cannot afford to study outside the district,” Mahajan urged.
— OC |
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Thieves decamp with cash, jewellery
Bilaspur, April 2 Reports said the family was fast asleep in another room and did not came to know when the thieves entered into the house and then broke open the lock of the trunk which had Rs 2 lakh and various ornaments of gold and silver worth Rs 3 lakh. A police team reached the spot though no arrest has been made up till now.
— OC |
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