Baddi, May 10
Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge here today lambasted the state government for failing to maintain Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical institutions for which the Centre had extended an 87.5 per cent aid.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of ESIC Model Hospital which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 70 crore. Only one floor was functional today. Addressing a gathering, he said it was lamentable that the state government was neglecting the ESIC hospitals and though the rules had been amended for contractual appointments, the shortage of staff continued. This was despite the fact that the state government had controlled their working.

He also expressed dissatisfaction over the working of the Labour Department and said the implementation of labour laws had remained a formality and its violations were rampant in the industrial areas. He directed the state government to ensure that labour laws were not violated and labourers got the due benefits. He extended a word of caution to trade unions and urged them to raise only genuine demands and not vitiate the atmosphere.

He said Rs 800 crore had been invested in Himachal, out of which Rs 730 crore was being spent on the construction of a medical college at Mandi, which would be ready by the second half of 2012, and Rs 70 crore being spent on this model hospital.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, the Union Minister for MSME Virbhadra Singh came down heavily on BJP leaders of the state for blaming the Union Minister for discontinuation of the industrial package and said the pressure mounted by BJP-ruled states like Punjab and Gujarat thwarted their attempt of restoring it to its earlier date.

State Industries Minister Kishen Kapoor urged them to extend the industrial package as had been done for the North-Eastern states.

Health and Ayurveda Minister Rajiv Bindal raised the demand of opening another medical college at Baddi and urged them to help the state in getting its due.

With leaders from both BJP and Congress sharing the stage, it had become an arena for political brickbatting with each leader criticising the other party for lack of development.

Vidya Stokes leader of the Opposition, MLA Vinod Chandel, MP Virender Kashyap and other BJP leaders were also present.

Shimla, May 10
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has charged the UPA government at the Centre with discriminating against the BJP-ruled states in the matter of devolution of funds.

Speaking at a conference of Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled states in New Delhi today, he said the industrial package given by the NDA regime to the hill state was withdrawn before the due date whereas in the case of north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir its duration was extended. Further, the Centre granted a package of Rs 8,000 crore to Jammu and Kashmir whereas the state had not been allowed to even raise loans as per norms. The barring limit was capped at Rs 1,647 crore even though as per norms it worked out to Rs 2,034 crore.

The state had to approach the Supreme Court to secure its legal claim in the inter-state power projects and the matter was under adjudication. The Centre had filed an affidavit against the state which was totally wrong. The state was getting only 2.5 per cent ad hoc share in the power whereas it was entitled to 7.19 per cent. The north-eastern states were being provided funds under the centrally sponsored schemes on 90:10 ratio but for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand it was 75:25.

The 13th Finance Commission had handed out a raw deal and the matter had been taken with the Prime Minister and the Planning Commission but in vain.

Dharamsala, May 10
Politics over IPL tickets will prove a boon for students who bought tickets worth Rs 250 for the forthcoming matches at Dharamsala. They will get a refund of Rs 100 for a ticket bought by them for the three IPL matches to be held here starting from May 15 to 21. This will benefit the students who bought tickets for general stand number 1 having a seating capacity of 2,000 spectators.

Senior Congress leader and MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali in a press conference held here today announced that the District Congress Committee at Kangra had applied to the district administration for setting up a booth near the gate of the Dharamsala International Cricket Stadium, which would provide 20 per cent subsidy to students who come to watch the IPL matches.

He alleged that last year a student ticket for IPL matches was Rs 125. However, this year the rate of the ticket had been increased to Rs 250. “This is injustice with the students of the state. The Congress on its behalf will give 20 per cent subsidy or Rs 50 per ticket to the students who come with their identity cards to watch the IPL matches,” Bali said.

However, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) sensing Bali’s plan to gain sympathy of the strong student community has now offered to subsidise the student tickets.

HPCA spokesman Sanjay Sharma said its president and BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur was concerned about the higher rates of tickets for students. He had taken up the matter with Punjab Kings XI that was the host team for the matches in Dharamsala.

“Punjab Kings XI at a request from Anurag Thakur has agreed to provide a subsidy of Rs 100 per ticket to the students who come with their identity cards to watch the IPL matches at Dharamsala stadium. The subsidy now being provided to students is double than what is being offered by Bali,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bali also alleged that the state government was providing sops to the IPL events.

Shimla, May 10
The HP High Court today restrained the returning officer from counting votes for the election of members of the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) from the state without the prior permission of the court.

While passing the interim order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol issued a notice to the Central Government, Registrar, Central Council of Indian Medicine, and Registrar, Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicines, Himachal Pradesh, and listed the matter for June 14. However, the court clarified that the election process might go on.

Petitioner Kushal Kumar Sharma alleged that the election of one member each from Ayurveda and Unani from the state for the CCIM was being held without having authenticated voter list and the secrecy of ballot paper was also not maintained. He alleged that several people figuring in the list had died or were figuring at two places. Therefore, the voter list was meaningless.

According to the petitioner, a notification issued by the returning officer on February 2, 2011, for electing one member each from Ayurveda and Unani as member of the CCIM from the state and as per the election programme, the votes to be received by post by the returning officer at Shimla till May 15 and counting is scheduled for May 16. Now counting will not be held on May 16 without the permission of the court.

Dharamsala, May 10
The BJP president of Una district and two Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Satpal Satti and Varinder Kanwar are at loggerheads with BJP MP from Kangra Rajan Sushant.

District president of the Una BJP Dalbir Bagga, along with the two parliamentary secretaries, addressing a press conference here yesterday demanded action against Sushant.

They alleged that Sushant was involved in anti-party activities. Earlier, he had launched a similar campaign against former Chief Minister and national vice-president of the party Shanta Kumar. They would write to the party high command to take strict action against Sushant.

The BJP leaders were reacting to the statements issued by Sushant during his recent visit to Una district. During his visit, Sushant once again reiterated his demand for performing narco test on the Chief Minister, sitting ministers of the BJP and himself.

He demanded if the party leaders were clean, they should not shirk from the test. He also alleged that many projects like sugar mill for Una district were not taking off due to corruption in the state government.

The Una BJP issued notices to 12 BJP leaders from the district who participated in the programme of Sushant. The district president also warned the party leaders that disciplinary action would be taken against them in case they participated in programmes organised by Rajan Sushant in future.

The BJP leaders from the district, who had been issued notices, included Narinder Sharma, who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election from Chintpurni.

Though Sushant openly started defying the state government about a couple of months ago, it is for the first time that the party leadership and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries have demanded action against him.

Sources here told The Tribune that after complaints from the leaders of the state, national president of party Nitin Gadkari had asked a senior leader of the BJP from state to talk to Sushant.

However, the leader had failed to control his repeated statements that embarrassed the state government.

Sushant got peeved with the Chief Minister in the recent past over the alleged change of venue of the Prashan Janta Ke Dwar programme organised in his Jawali assembly constituency.

Shimla, May 10
On the recommendation of a high-power committee, a state-level “Dharamsthal Parishad” will be constituted for governing the efficient administration of the temples of the state.

The second meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee constituted to review the report submitted by the HP High-Power Committee for the Administration of Temples was held here last evening under the chairmanship of IPH Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi. Health Minister Rajiv Bindal and Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who are members of the committee, also attended the meeting.

He said the committee had submitted a detailed report regarding the amendment of Section 29 of Scheduled Temples taken over by the government under the provisions of the HP Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act, 1984.

He said regarding de-notifying and acquiring of temples, the Cabinet sub-committee had decided to seek technical report from temple commissioner concerned.

Bindal suggested developing herbal gardens on temple premises which have large open spaces and asked the Language, Art and Culture Department to submit a project to the Ayurveda Department.

Thakur stressed upon seeking the opinion of local people while deciding on the de-notifying or acquisition of temples.

Shimla, May 10
The government has decided to provide an assistance of Rs 200 per quintal to wheat seed growers registered with the HP Seed and Organic Produce Certification Agency due to the damage caused to the crop by yellow rust.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal.

The benefit will go to growers registered for rabi-2011 for the seed production of variety PBW-343 and PBW-502. Over 250 farmers registered under the scheme will get a total financial assistance of Rs 40 lakh.

Solan, May 10
Seven vehicles were burnt and a shop partially charred when an oil tanker suddenly caught fire at Baner village on the Swarghat-Bilaspur road at 3 pm today. The vehicles charred were a pick-up utility vehicle, two trucks, three scooters and the oil tanker.

Tanker driver Vinod Kumar, who was seriously injured, has been referred to Tanda hospital. The fire was extinguished with the help of a fire tender from Nalagarh. — OC