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State seeks Rs 1,896 cr from Centre
Snow, rain lash upper Manali region
Congress trains guns on Rajiv Bindal
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Congress seeks CBI probe against corrupt ministers
CM dares LJP to lodge complaint with Lokayukta
Campaign backed by land mafia, alleges CPM
Cong alleges irregularity in PDS supply
Residents seek dam downstream Beas to revive ecology
Uprooted tarring: Minister promises probe
Man hangs himself to death
DM issues orders to monitor anti-social elements
Youth castrated
Cong alleges misuse of govt machinery
at CM’s rally
Kangra NIFT provided 300 kanals, Rs 58 cr by government
Dhumal slams UPA govt for ignoring state
Minister blames Cong for delay in widening of Theog-Hatkoti road
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Funding of annual plan Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 4 A team of senior officers held discussion with the working group of the Planning Commission in Delhi two days ago over the size and funding of the annual plan, which is 12 per cent higher as compared to the current year’s plan of Rs 3,300 crore. It emerged during the meeting that the cap on the loan will be raised from the current year’s Rs 1,647 crore to about Rs 2,050 crore in view of the increase in the Gross State Domestic Product of the state. The commission appreciated the efforts of the government in the agriculture, health and education sectors but expressed concern over the ever-increasing committed liabilities on account of salary, pension and loan repayment. However, the state will have to raise substantial additional resources to increase the plan size by Rs 400 crore as the Centre, which is itself in a tight situation with increasing deficit, is not expected to double the special plan assistance (SPA) in one go. The Centre had increased the amount of SPA from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore, which was quite significant, last year. The SPA is provided over and above the normal plan assistance and even after a similar hike for the next year there will be a huge gap of Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore. The final quantum of SPA and the additional resources to be raised by the state will be known only after the Union Budget is presented. As the Budget has been delayed because of assembly polls in five states, the final meeting between Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia will be held only in the third week of March. The state may have to raise additional resources to tune of Rs 200 to Rs 250 crore, a tall order in the election year when the governments are in populist mode. Maintaining a healthy plan size for the next year is important as it is the first year of the 12th Five-Year Plan and any shortfall in spending will set a bad precedent at the very outset. It could hamper the implementation of the proposed Rs 22,800 crore Five-Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17), an increase of 65 per cent over the 11th Plan.
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Snow, rain lash upper Manali region
Manali, March 4 The higher reaches in the Manali region, including the 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti, the Pir Panjal ranges, Marhi, Gulaba, Kothi, Brighu slopes, Hamta ski slopes, Beas kund and Dhundi received fresh snowfall. The famous ski slopes of the Solang valley also received fresh snowfall today. Hundreds of tourists made a beeline for Solang and Kothi, which witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall. Tourists were in for a surprise today to see upper areas of the Manali region covered with a white blanket of snow. Tourists were also seen enjoying different snow-related activities and having photo sessions. Fresh snowfall in the high reaches severely affected the snow-clearing operations of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on the 474-km-long Manali-Leh highway today. The BRO has launched a massive snow-clearing operation on the 222-km-long Manali-Sarchu section of the road.
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Congress trains guns on Rajiv Bindal
Shimla, March 4 A senior leader and spokesperson of the party, Kuldeep Pathania said disclosures by the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), the breakaway BJP group, regarding the assets of the ministers and private universities made it quite apparent why the Dhumal government brought a Bill to raise the limit under the Land Ceilings Act. The details of assets released by Bindal to rebut the HLP allegations only made things worse as it only established that he had filed a false affidavit regarding his assets along with nomination papers for contesting election. Moreover, purchasing land allotted to a poor person and making him landless again was illegal and any person involved in such an act could not be allowed to be a part of the ministry. It was a fit case to be investigated by the CBI and Chief Minister PK Dhumal should ask him to resign and hand over the case to a central agency for an impartial probe. If he refuses to resign, he should sack him. The Congress has made corruption and shady land deals its main plank for its oust-BJP campaign and the allegations being made by the HLP had only supported the Congress viewpoint. The excess land allotted to private universities, the delay in repealing the State Apartments Regulations Act, even after recommendation of the select committee of the House to this effect, make it evident that the BJP would not mend its ways and the sale of Himachal would continue till it was in power. The select committee was constituted in the last budget session but the government has subsequently granted some more permissions to builders. The party would hold a major rally during the ensuing budget session to kick off “Mission Delete” for erasing the BJP from office. |
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Congress seeks CBI probe against corrupt ministers
Kangra, March 4 The demand was raised by GS Bali, sitting MLA from Nagrota Bagwan, while addressing a press conference at his residence here yesterday. Bali said it was ironic that those who were the part of the present government had exposed the doings of some ministers and BJP senior functionaries and the government was a mute spectator. He said earlier two ministers and four MLAs had also levelled charges of corruption against BJP functionaries and ministers before the party high command without any action from that end. Bali, who is the chairman of the Chargesheet Committee of the HPCC, said the charge sheet framed by the Congress with facts, figures and evidences would be handed over to President Pratibha Patil through the party high command during the coming Budget session. He said a majority of the ministers of the Dhumal government figured in the charge sheet with “serious charges”. Bali said if the present government felt that any functionary of the Congress was involved in corruption or scams, a CBI inquiry should be ordered against them also. He gave a call to Kangra MP Rajan Sushant to provide facts and figures of corrupt ministers and BJP functionaries.
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Charges against Bindal Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, March 4 Dhumal said if the people who were making allegations were serious, they should file a complaint in this regard with the Lokayukta. The Himachal Government has strengthened the office of the Lokayukta in the state to ensure transparency. The Lokayukta has been provided powers to inquire into the allegations that are levelled against those in power. So if the people of the LJP had any substance they should provide it to the Lokayukta so that a free and fair inquiry should be conducted into it, he said. The Chief Minister further alleged that the leaders of the LJP were making allegations just to get publicity in the media.
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Transfer of Annandale to HPCA Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 4 Member of State Secretariat Tikender Panwar said during the recent agitation by the party against blocking of road leading to Dalit Basti by an influential landlord backed by the BJP, some alarming facts were brought to light by the local residents regarding land deals adjoining the Annandale ground. Land measuring several bighas had been purchased by influential people having close connections with the BJP government. There was a close connection between the HPCA and these BJP leaders who were working in tandem to take over the Annadale ground under the guise of converting it into a stadium. It was their vested interest which guided the signature campaign for the transfer of ground, befooling the people of Shimla. Further, during these recent purchases even the nature of land had been converted with the connivance of revenue officers who must be penalised. It was learnt that this was done during the settlement process by converting dense forest adjoining the ground into a grassland. The Annandale might go the Bemloe way where a big builder has violated all norms and is constructing a huge residential complex. The ground should serve the interests of the common people and not the builders backed by land mafia and the HPCA, which had converted Dharamsala stadium into its fiefdom. The ground should be used for local festivals and sports activities as was the practice in the past, preserving the ecology of the environment and in any case must not be handed over to real estate speculators.
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No question of returning to BJP, say HLP leaders
Hamirpur, March 4 Addressing a press conference here today, state convener of the party, Maheshwar Singh, and other leaders said, “BJP general secretary JP Nadda is the real culprit as he played a double game and misled the Central leadership of the BJP by terming the chargesheet submitted by us against the Dhumal government as unfounded.” Maheshwar said, “Both Shanta Kumar and Virbhadra Singh are our respected leaders, but we can’t ask them to join the HLP.” He said, “The HLP is not an orphanage where those not given the ticket by other parties will be accommodated during the Assembly elections”. Earlier, addressing a meeting of the party, the leaders came down heavily on the Dhumal government and said, “If AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh can take action against Congress ministers allegedly involved in corruption cases, why can’t Dhumal take action against his cabinet colleagues accused of amassing wealth through corrupt means?” They have also demanded a CBI inquiry against the “corrupt” ministers in the state government. Criticising both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress, they said, “Both parties are adopting double standards in dealing with the corruption cases; when in the opposition, they make hue and cry over corruption but after coming to power, these parties fail to take action.”
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Cong alleges irregularity in PDS supply
Solan, March 4 Addressing mediapersons here, state PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur said the extent of irregularities in the supply of PDS foodgrains could be gauged from these figures and it indicated how the state government had not even spared the common man. Kaul Singh charged the Chief Minister with shielding the corrupt and asked why he had not dropped Health Minister Rajiv Bindal and IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi despite allegations of corruption levelled against them. He said they would get their properties probed by the CBI. He said the Congress would finalise the chargesheet against the state government by March 31 and would submit it before the party high command in the first week of April so that it could be submitted to the President of India for a suitable probe. |
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Residents seek dam downstream Beas to revive ecology
Mandi, March 4 The council members have further pleaded that a proposal to revive the ecology and bathing ghats be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) under the National River Conservation Programme. The silt and muck have defaced the beauty of this town, the members resented. Hailing the decision of the government to increase the river discharge from 15 per cent to 20 per cent in the river from the project, the Citizens Council Mandi has urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to expedite the construction of the small dam downstream. The backwaters of the dam water will revive the bathing ghats. BBMB had destroyed these ghats by releasing loads of silt pumped in by its balancing reservoir near Sundernagar on the Suketi and from the Pandoh dam on the Beas, the residents pointed out. “The banks of the Beas and its tributary, Suketi, which meet at historic Panchvakhtar temple in this town, are silted up ever since BBMB operated its Beas project in the 1970s. There is no trace of bathing ghats and the silt and lack of water in the river near the town in winter months have altered the ecology of the town,” said Wg Cdr (retd) YN Vaidya, president, Mandi Citizens Council. He said the people living along the river had been hit as almost negligible discharge in the river had dried up natural water springs, impacting flora and fauna and the bathing ghats. The council members said the Beas project has deprived people of Mandi town of their riparian rights (rights of people living downstream) over the years. “We have urged Chief Minister to take immediate steps and restore the religious and cultural heritage linked to the Beas,” Vaidya said. He said the Beas project was launched without taking into account its negative impact on the ecology and cultural heritage. The people had been deprived of the holy dip in the river during religious fairs and festivals as there was hardly any water in lean months, he added.
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Uprooted tarring: Minister promises probe
Mandi, March 4 Addressing a public meeting at Chindi, the minister announced that probe would be ordered but he did not give any time frame on the issue. He was referring to the demand raised by the people that the tarring gave away within no time. The villagers resented that the road tarring gave way soon after the contractor finished the work allegedly using substandard material. Further, Thakur announced that the HRTC would start bus services till Garyala on Gaddidhar-Karol route, Siyanz-Shimla via Katol, Karsog-Ashla and Karsog-Shaungdhar. He also promised residents that he would take steps to open the cooperative bank branch at Pangna soon.
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Man hangs himself to death
Chamba, March 4 Revealing this here today, DSP KB Verma said the deceased had been identified as Tarlok Chand, a resident of Kutela village, adding that the body had been handed over to his kin after carrying out an autopsy. The DSP further divulged that Tarlok had been reported missing since February 24. However, the police was investigating into the incident, the DSP added. |
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DM issues orders to monitor anti-social elements
Chamba, March 4 Promulgating these orders, the District Magistrate stated that many people were visiting Chamba district to earn their livelihood by engaging in trade, services or doing business as shawl vendors, phariwalas, cobblers, repairers of utensils etc or by offering contract labour services in hydroelectric projects. Consequently, crime prevention had become difficult. By his orders, the DM directed law-enforcing agencies that no employer, contractor and trader could engage any migrant labourer visiting any part of the district in petty non-formal jobs or services or contract labour unless such migrant labourer had furnished his particulars, along with a passport size photograph to the SHO for identification and verification of his antecedents. The DM warned that any violation of his orders would lead to punitive action. He also directed the SP, Chamba, to submit a report of such persons recorded in different police stations. |
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Youth castrated
Bilaspur, March 4 Reports said some people found the youth unconscious on the Ghumarwin-Kutheda road and informed the police about it. The police took the youth to the Civil Hospital at Ghumarwin and admitted him there. Later, on regaining consciousness, the youth told the police that eunuchs had employed him on wages for some time and were now trying to persuade him to join their profession. He refused them bluntly, but when he was asleep, they forcibly castrated him with a sharp-edged weapon. They threw him on the road from their vehicle and fled from the scene when he made a hue and cry about it. He said they belonged to Panipat in Haryana. |
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State witnessed balanced growth in past 4 yrs: CM
Kangra, March 4 He was addressing a public meeting at Government Degree College, Nagrota Bagwan, after dedicating a college building, constructed at a cost of Rs 8 crore, to the people. The Chief Minister said there had been no political consideration while carrying out developmental activities on a need-basis consideration in the state. He said the areas which had been lagging behind were given an added attention to bring these on par with the developed ones. He said Rs 380 crore was being spent on providing subsidised electricity, essential commodities and CFL bulbs to people of the state. The Chief Minister said education had been on the priority agenda of the state and quality education was being ensured. He said the college building at Nagrota Bagwan had been constructed by the government by making adequate budget provisions. Education Minister ID Dhiman said Rs 3,165 crore had been made available to strengthen the education sector during the current financial year. He said the state was spending the highest in the country, 19 per cent on education, as compared to only 4.68 per cent at the national level. He said education facility had covered over 99 per cent children in the state and concerted efforts were being made to educate the remaining. He said the teacher-pupil ratio in the state was 1:16 as compared to 1:40 at the national level. Local MLA GS Bali welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for dedicating the new college building to students of the college.
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Cong alleges misuse of govt machinery
at CM’s rally
Nurpur, March 4 Addressing a press conference here today, state Congress general secretary Ajay Mahajan said despite spending lakhs of rupees for organising the rally, it had flopped as the government employees, anganwari and MNREGA workers were forced to be present at the rally. “Apart from this, local MLA Rakesh Pathania, who managed this show by arranging musical and dance parties from Punjab, would not have played such gimmicks had he undertaken any development of the area during the past four years,” he said. He also criticised the Chief Minister and local MLA for trying to garner credit for the ambitious Phina Singh irrigation project as they had done nothing for its clearance. Accepting the challenge of the MLA to hold a debate on this project, Mahajan said he was opposed to the false propaganda by him and was ready to share a common dais on the issue. He dared him to name even a single development project which had been started and commissioned during the present BJP regime. He also alleged misappropriation of funds in the initial works undertaken before laying the foundation stone of the Phina Singh irrigation project. |
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Kangra NIFT provided 300 kanals, Rs 58 cr by government
Kangra, March 4 He was addressing a public meeting here today after laying the foundation stone of Rs 11.83-crore augmentation of the Lift Drinking Water Supply Scheme for this town to benefit about 40,000 residents, pilgrims and tourists and meet the drinking water requirement of about 65,000 population by 2045. He also laid the stone of the Rs 55-lakh project of 6 type II staff quarters for NGOs under the General Pool and dedicated a 40-m span bridge over the Sukhad Khad on the Kangra-Tanda road, completed at a cost of Rs 1.90 crore. He said the state had transferred the infrastructure available on the land to NIFT to make the same functional on priority. He said NIFT had emerged a milestone in world class professional education where youth of the state would get an opportunity to study fashion technology. He said the institute had brought Kangra town on the national map of world-class professional institutions. He said the para and PAT teachers appointed by the Congress was a decision taken in haste and assured them that their interests would be protected by the state government. The Chief Minister said the tehsil headquarters announced for Nagrota Surian would be limited to the area specific only and no new patwar circle would be attached to it. Ravinder Singh Ravi, IPH Minister, said new chapters were being added to the development history of Kangra district with every passing day of the Chief Minister’s winter sojourn. Sanjay Choudhary, MLA, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for dedicating projects and laying the foundation stone of ambitious projects.
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Cong, BJP workers jostle as CM visits Bali’s turf
Nagrota Bagwan (Dharamsala), March 4 He was there was to inaugurate a new building of the Government College, Nagrota Bagwan, that has been built at a cost of Rs 7.5 crore. The inauguration of the college building once again saw a standoff between Congress and BJP workers. GS Bali, local Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan, arrived at the venue of inauguration along with his supporters. BJP leader from the area, Mangal Chaudhary, who had lost the last election to Bali, also arrived with a good number of supporters carrying BJP flags. The CM was initially welcomed by the BJP workers. At the main entrance of the college, however, Bali was standing along with his supporters who raised slogans in favour of the Congress. The supporters of both the parties jostled with one another at the entrance of the college. Addressing the public that had gathered on the occasion, Bali claimed that the Congress had initially released Rs 5 crore for the project and the remaining Rs 2.5 crore had been released by the present government. Bali’s claim was, however, immediately refuted by Education Minister ID Dhiman and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. The Education Minister claimed that the present government had released Rs 5.5 crore for the college building, while the previous Congress government had released just Rs 2 crore. Dhumal said the fact that the present government had released Rs 5 crore for the college building could be checked from official records. He, however, added that the government’s development works should not be politicised. He also thanked the locals of Nagrota Bagwan for cutting across party lines and coming to the inauguration function of Government College in large numbers. Bali also took a snipe at IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi by saying that the minister was taking a keen interest in Nagrota Bagwan and he welcomed him to contest from the area. Bali during his speech once again boasted having good relations with the CM. The CM, however, stated that he had carried out development in the state as per the needs of people rather than affiliations with people or parties. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of a new science block of Government College, Dharamsala. The building is expected to come up at a cost of Rs 8 crore. He later inaugurated a bridge over the local rivulet near the Tanda Medical College that has been built at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
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Dhumal slams UPA govt for ignoring state
Nurpur, March 4 Ridiculing the demand at a press conference here last evening, the Chief Minister questioned the PCC chief whether he considered Himachal Pradesh a state of the country. Reiterating his charge of discrimination against the hill state by the UPA government, Dhumal lambasted at the Central government for denying any special package on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir which had been extended a Rs 8,000-crore package. Listing instances of discrimination against the state, he said the curtailment of industrial package approved by the NDA government, curtailment of HP quota in the Indian Army and foodgrains and kerosene being distributed under the public distribution system was the tip of the iceberg. “Not only that, the UPA government had filed an affidavit in the writ petition filed by the state in the apex court for demanding more share in the hydel power projects set up in the state. It has even withdrawnw Rs 13 crore in October last year from the allocation of funds of Rs 38 crore for the Nangal-Talwara railway line earmarked in the annual railway budget. Apart from this, the construction of this broad gauge line started in 1973 could not be completed till now,” he rued. The CM also denounced the UPA government for demanding thousands of acres of land free of cost along with one-third construction cost for converting the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line into a broad gauge.
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Minister blames Cong for delay in widening of Theog-Hatkoti road
Shimla, March 4 Addressing a press conference here today, he said work on the road had been delayed for various reasons and it would be competed only by 2013. However, the government would take all required measures during the apple harvesting season from July to September. Out of the 80-km stretch undertaken for widening under the World Bank project, as much as 47 km required improvement. Out of this, the PWD would work on the 33 km and a contractor on the remaining 14 km. Tenders would be invited soon for the purpose. As the Chinese company, which had been awarded the Rs 225-crore contract, had failed to complete the work, the money spend by the PWD would be recovered from it later. The Congress had been driving political mileage by blaming the government for the delay whereas the fact was that while in power it showed undue haste in inviting tenders for awarding the project. The tendering process was started and contract awarded without obtaining various mandatory approvals, particularly the forest clearance, which actually delayed the work. Bragta gave details of various clearances, felling of trees and works undertaken in a chronological order to substantiate his charge that the delay was on account of the haste shown by the Congress. As per the terms of the contract, the road was to be handed over for upgradation free from all encumbrances which was not the case. He said the BJP, which came to power subsequently, could not do much as it was a World Bank project and any review would have delayed matters and the state might have lost the project. The government would not allow the apple growers to suffer because of the inefficiency of the Chinese company and it would ensure that the road was in a good shape to take the heavy load of trucks during the apple season as a good crop was expected after last year’s lean harvest. The BJP government would not allow the Congress to exploit the situation to its advantage and make all arrangements for transportation of the produce.
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The intense cold wave sweeping the Manali region further tightened its grip as the upper Manali region and the entire higher reaches experienced a fresh spell of
snowfall.
Opposition Congress today turned the heat on beleaguered Health Minister Rajiv Bindal, who is the main target of the anti-corruption campaign launched by the BJP rebels, by demanding his dismissal for furnishing incorrect information regarding his assets.
