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Shimla Municipal Corporation Elections
MNREGA: HP among top-performing states
Can’t shell out Rs 150 crore to acquire plots in green belts: MC |
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Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal inaugurates the mini-secretariat at
Baijnath on Monday. Photo: Kamaljeet
Exports likely to help handloom corp tide over fiscal crunch
Shanta men attend Dhumal’s rally
Wildlife officials rescue a leopard from a trap at the Dehra forest range on Monday. Not enough parking facilities in Mandi HP employees to hold rally on May 1
Anti-hail gun experiment has failed: Virbhadra Steps afoot to check forest fires Tug of war between Industry Minister, Nurpur MLA intensifies
Moscow students visit Nauni varsity
CPM seeks support
Woman detected with rabies dies
Insurance co. told to pay relief
Cong seeks CBI probe into
PDS scam
HPU inks pact with corporate house
Samiti flays govt over bad roads
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Shimla Municipal Corporation Elections Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 23 With the election to the coveted posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor being held directly for the first time, all three political parties are keen on wresting the post of Mayor, which has not been possible in the past due to the lack of a majority. With the Congress maintaining its control over the Shimla MC since the past three decades, the ruling BJP and the CPM are viewing this as a golden opportunity to at least win the post of Mayor even if it does not get a majority in a House of 25 councillors. The CPM has already announced the candidature of Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Singh Panwar for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The two have already started campaigning and are seeking votes in the name of providing an alternative to the Congress and the BJP. The Shimla MC poll is likely to be held in May as the next House has to be constituted by June 5. The BJP, too, is keen on somehow winning the post of Mayor so that it can have its man heading the prestigious MC. The names of several persons, including Ramesh Sood, head of the beopar cell of the party, Ganesh Dutt, vice-chairman of the HP Urban Development Authority, IAS officer JS Rana, currently posted as Director, Industries, and Dr Ashok Kapatia, vice-chairman of the state media advisory committee are doing the rounds. The Congress, which has maintained its hold over the Shimla MC for the past 30 years, too, is keen that it retains the post of Mayor at all cost. However, it will be tough for the party to decide on the candidate as there are several candidates in the fray, including former mayors Manoj Kumar, Sohan Lal and Narender Kataria. Though Deputy Mayor Harish Janartha may prove to be the strongest candidate, with uncertainty still prevailing on his return to the party hold, his candidature for the post of Mayor remains uncertain. Janartha was expelled from the party for contesting the election of Deputy Mayor against the party nominee. He won as an independent candidate but had to face the wrath of the party for going against the high command for which he was expelled. Though there are reports that his expulsion has been revoked, so far there is no official confirmation. Janartha, considered close to Virbhadra Singh, is undoubtedly the strongest candidate who could match the might of the ruling BJP, which will leave no stone unturned to win the seat of Mayor.
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MNREGA: HP among top-performing states
Shimla, April 23 The total expenditure under the scheme came down from Rs 556.55 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 516.34 crore in 2010-11 and further fell to Rs 509.43 crore in the last financial year. However, the number of man-days generated, which had come down from 285 lakh to 219 lakh, again increased to 255 lakh last year as the government ensured strict adherence to the prescribed labour and material ratio of 60:40 per cent. In all, an amount of Rs 1,914.56 crore has been spent during the past four years (2008-12) to generate 964.43 lakh man-days over the period. Having uploaded 97 per cent of data pertaining to the implementation of the programme, Himachal is at the top in maintaining the MIS (Management Information System) and in completing works with a completion rate of 74 per cent. While 1,25,443 works have been competed so far, 44,214 are in progress. The percentage of women beneficiaries is 60 in the state as compared to the national average of 49 and that of Scheduled Caste families is 31 as against the all-India average of 22. In all, 10,97,526 families have been issued job cards and, of these, 41 per cent have been provided work as against the national average of 37 per cent. Till 2008-09, 52 per cent works pertained to the construction of roads, which came down to 35 per cent last year. At present, over 50 per cent works pertain to water harvesting and development of water sources and so far water storage capacity of 105 crore litres has been created by building check dams and ponds to help expand the irrigation facility. |
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Can’t shell out Rs 150 crore to acquire plots in green belts: MC
Shimla, April 23 The MC, at its general house meeting today, adopted a resolution expressing its inability to shell out Rs 150 crore which is required to compensate the plot owners who have not been able to construct houses due to the blanket ban on construction in the 17 designated green belts of the state capital. Last week, the Cabinet had directed the MC to explore the possibility of acquiring the vacant plots, numbering about 70, in the green belts. This was done with the objective of compensating the land owners who bought land before 2000 when the government had imposed a blanket ban on construction in these 17 green belts of the town. The resolution adopted by the MC also urged the government that since it was not in a position to compensate the plot owners, they should be allowed to undertake construction as per their needs. The resolution will now be sent to the Urban Development Department for further pursuance. “The plot owners will now get approval from the government to make structures for personal use as the MC has no money to buy the plots, most of them located in vantage points,” admitted a senior official. As expected these 70 plot owners, who have time and again urged the government to allow them need-based construction, will now get the go-ahead to make structures for domestic use. Even in the Shimla Development Plan, which has after a long wait got the nod of the Cabinet, it has been mentioned that these land owners be allowed to make two and a half floors for their personal use. However, the relaxation is likely to be given to only those plot owners who had bought plots before 2000 when the government suddenly identified 17 green belts and declared these as a no-construction zone. Even though the MC expressed its inability to compensate the plot owners owning to its poor financial health, this was a foregone conclusion that everyone was expecting sooner or later. The MC itself owes over Rs 120 crore to the Irrigation and Public Health Department and the HP State Electricity Board for the water and power supplied to it.
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CM announces projects for Baijnath
Dharamsala, April 23 Addressing the rally, the Chief Minister said the detailed project report to execute the 7-km-long Holi-Uttrala tunnel project had been completed and construction work on the project would be started on priority. He said the tunnel project would cost about Rs 1,571 crore and would reduce the distance between Holi in Chamba district and Uttrala in Baijnath subdivision in Kangra district by 140 km. The government had accorded top priority to tunnel projects to reduce geographical barriers. The Chief Minister also dedicated a building of Pandit Sant Ram Government Degree College to students. The project has been completed at a cost of Rs. 8.55 crore. He also inaugurated the mini-secretariat-cum-combined office building for the convenience of people of Baijnath subdivision, completed at a cost of Rs 2.91 crore. Dhumal laid the foundation stone of an SC/ST/OBC hostel on the college campus, estimated to cost Rs 271.30 lakh, and 9 Type-II government quarters, estimated to cost Rs 74 lakh, at Baijnath today. Accepting another major demand of the people of the Baijnath area, the Chief Minister announced the opening of an ITI in the old college building with five-six trades in Baijnath. The ITI will start functioning from July this year. He announced that the Baijnath tehsildar would camp at Chadhiar for a week every month. The Chief Minister said the government had carried out development uniformally by rising above political considerations. Dhumal alleged that the legitimate quota of the state in essential commodities had been reduced drastically and the two Cabinet Ministers in the Union Cabinet representing Himachal Pradesh had never been able to protect the interests of the people of the state. He said five new national highways had been sanctioned, but had not been notified by the UPA Government and both the Union Ministers had failed to get these notified. He said no funds were being provided by the Centre for the maintenance of national highways and the state government was carrying the repair and maintenance of these from its own coffers. Dhumal sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the development of a parking lot at Paprola and for the beautification of Choubin Chowk, besides Rs 23 lakh for the development of a parking lot in Baijnath town. Dhumal was presented a draft of Rs 1,38,101 by Inder Bhardwaj, SDM, Baijnath, as contribution towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on behalf of employees of various departments/boards/corporations/ panchayats in the subdivision while Rs 5,100 were also presented by the pradhan, gram panchayat, Bara Bhangal.
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Exports likely to help handloom corp tide over fiscal crunch
Solan, April 23 The corporation has exported goods worth Rs 26 lakh and this has been made possible by bringing about various innovations in its designs and diversifying its products as per international needs. Various woollen items manufactured by the corporation like stoles, caps, gloves and socks are much in demand in foreign countries. Since marketing was a major handicap for the corporation due to the use of traditional patterns and little innovation in its designs, efforts were made to diversify its designs and colours through training. This has helped procure orders from various European nations as well as the USA for its products. This foray into exports has reduced the annual operational losses from Rs 1 crore to as less as Rs 3.24 lakh in the last financial year. Its sale in the state, the rest of India and abroad also increased from Rs 60 lakh in 2009 to Rs 1.50 crore in 2010-2011 and profits were expected in the last financial year. MD of the corporation Lalit Mohan said they had been trying to procure export orders by studying the pattern and colours of various products, including woollens, in Europe and the USA. This has helped the corporation make exports worth Rs 26 lakh till now and helped enhance the minimum sales guarantee from the earlier Rs 1.80 crore in 2009 to Rs 8 crore in the last financial year. Apart from this, the surplus space available in various emporiums of the corporation has been identified and allotted to different interested consignment parties on a minimum sales guarantee basis to ensure an assured income to the corporation. The corporation’s robust sales were indicated in the increase in its turnover from Rs 10 crore in 2009 to Rs 20 crore in the last financial year. Its Delhi unit alone recorded sales worth Rs 6.20 crore while earlier this figure hovered around Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore. Though the cumulative losses still remained at Rs 21.06 crore, the corporation has managed to clear more than half of its pending liabilities towards its employees, amounting to Rs 2.5 crore.
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Shanta men attend Dhumal’s rally
Dharamsala, April 23 Leaders of the Shanta faction from the district, including BJP MLA from Sulah and general secretary Vipin Parmar, district president of the BJP Ranjit Singh Pathania and general secretary of the district BJP Vinay Sharma, were present at the Chief Minister’s rally. Earlier, these leaders had been skipping the Chief Minister’s functions in Kangra district. Ranjit Singh Pathania had earlier gone on record that he was not attending the functions of the Chief Minister as he had not been invited. However, his presence at today’s rally indicates that the Shanta faction leaders have also been directed by the party high command to put up a united face in political rallies. The thaw in the Shanta and Dhumal factions came after the Chief Minister visited Shanta Kumar at his residence on Saturday. The meeting between the two senior leaders of the BJP was fixed on the directions of the party high command. The party high command wants both leaders to come together on one stage in view of the Assembly elections in the state, due later this year. Though Shanta is still keeping off political rallies of the party in the state, leaders of his faction have started joining the Chief Minister’s political rallies. Sources said BJP national president Nitin Gadkari held a meeting with senior leaders of the state BJP in New Delhi on Sunday. Efforts are being made by the party high command to bring together all factions of the party in the coming months. However, Shanta Kumar is still insisting on certain changes in the government before he can actively take part in the affairs of the state BJP. He wants that certain ministers facing charges of corruption should be dropped to give an impression that the state government is acting tough on the issue of corruption in
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Leopard caught in poachers’ trap rescued
Dharamsala, April 23 As the trapped carnivore of the lower Himachal forest tried to free itself from the trap it roared and that attracted the attention of local residents. A large number of locals gathered at the spot and informed forest officials. The timely arrival of forest officials saved the precious animal’s life. The forest officials of Dehra were helped by a wildlife team from Hamirpur. The leopard received injuries while struggling to free itself from the wire trap. However, Conservator, Wildlife, Rastogi said by the time leopard was rescued by the forest officials, it was moving. It had been shifted to the Gopalpur zoo in Kangra district where a veterinarian was taking stock of its injuries. “The exact amount of injury to the leopard can only be ascertained after the animal is sedated,” he said. When asked if the animal would be released in the wild, the conservator said, “We will take stock of the situation after treating the animal.” This is the third time in the past few months that a leopard has got caught in a wire trap laid by poachers in Kangra. Earlier, a leopard that had entered a house in the Nurpur area was killed by villagers. In the Palampur area, a leopard cub was caught in a wire trap laid by poachers. The cub lost his front paw due to the trap and could not survive in the wild. |
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Not enough parking facilities in Mandi
Mandi, April 23 The District Magistrate (DM) of Mandi had notified parking locations to regulate traffic in the town in March this year. His notification, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, says the town can accommodate just 100 cars, 232 two-wheelers and 147 three-wheelers only. On the other hand, the number of vehicles coming into the town is 15 to 20 times more daily. As a result, residents park their vehicles here and there on the road and the police challans, on an average, 60 offenders daily, making Rs 12,000 from fine from them. SP, Mandi, Abhishek Dular said the police was only implementing the order passed by the DM. For the past 19 days the police had challaned 1,141 offenders and collected Rs 1.95 lakh as fine from them, he added. Though the Town and Country Planning Department has proposed in the development plan of Mandi town to limit the number of two-wheelers and three-wheelers, but their number had risen by two-fold. Parking space is made mandatory for all hospitals, hotels, commercial complexes, industrial units, government and semi-government offices and private houses in the town. But even government offices violate provisions, leave alone commercial offices. Just 0.42 hectare area exists as private parking area in this town. It needs 9.26 hectare parking area for light vehicles at different locations and the town needs 9.68 hectare area for parking. If the rate at which the number of vehicles is increasing in the town, by 2021 it will need 104.20 hectares area for parking, which is 4.53 per cent of town’s planning area. President, Citizens Council, Mandi, YN Vaidya said they had proposed to create parking facilities at Kesri Bangla, on the dumping site at the bypass, near the Victoria bridge and the Jail road to contain the incoming traffic on the peripheries and declaring the main Chhota Bazar and Seri Munch as a traffic-free area for pedestrians. He added that the district administration should earmark yellow lines where enough road space was available for parking small vehicles. But the development plan remained paper work as nothing was being done to decongest the town, he lamented.
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Anti-hail gun experiment has failed: Virbhadra Shimla, April 23 Addressing a public meeting at Jubbal in the heart of the apple belt today, he said hailstorms had caused extensive damage to crops and even areas within the protective range of the anti-hail guns had been battered. It was quite evident that anti-hail guns were not effective and thus the growers would have to look for an alternative. Anti-hail nets were being used by progressive growers for the past quite sometime and these had been very effective. The Congress government would import best-quality anti-hail nets and provide these to farmers on nominal rates by providing susbdidy. The former Chief Minister alleged that the BJP government had neglected the region and the deplorable condition of roads provided ample evidence of it. Referring to the Annandale controversy, he said the government was obsessed with cricket and wanted to know what vested interests it had in promoting only one game. There were other games too like volleyball, hockey and football which were very poplar in the state. Virbhadra Singh reiterated that he was not in the race for chief ministership and he was addressing rallies across the state only to mobilise the cadres so that the party could regain power in the state. Former MLA Rohit Thakur was also present at the public meeting. There was an unsavoury incident when a security man did not allow him to board the open jeep in which Virbhadra Singh was taken in a procession to the venue of the meeting.
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Steps afoot to check forest fires
Bilaspur, April 23 He said a circle-level workshop on “Effective fire control” had been organised at the Forest Awareness Centre at Suharghat, 42 km from here, yesterday in which officials and officers up to Range Officers participated. Anil Thakur said Nodal Officers had been appointed and Fire Task Forces constituted to respond at once to any fire incident in their areas, apart from laying emphasis on the prevention of fires and controlling these at the earliest. He said Bilaspur Circle had 68,290 hectares of forest area and most of it was fire prone. As many as 78 beats were fire sensitive, out of which 51 were in Bilaspur district and 27 in Solan district. Fire control rooms had been set up in all 14 Range headquarters and 43 task forces under a Deputy Range Officer had been activated. He said there were 266.50 km of “fire lines” which had been cleared of inflammable materials, while fire watchers were being deployed by Divisional Forest Officers. Thakur said this Circle had six van sarovars, 16 water harvesting structures and three water ponds which would help any nearby fire. There were five watch towers where forest workers would be on duty to spot any forest fire. Each Division had been provided with an additional van for Mobility of fire teams and monthly phone allowance of rupees 100 has been allowed to field staff. He said staff would also remain in touch with self-help groups, yuvak mandals, mahila mandals, JFMS, VFDC and other such organisations which were always on guard and were of great help in forest fire emergencies.
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Tug of war between Industry Minister, Nurpur MLA intensifies
Nurpur, April 23 Pathania said he would sit on dharna in front of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner’s office on April 27 in support of Nurpur Zila Banao demand and also burn the Industry Minister’s effigy for his anti-district attitude and his alleged support to the mining mafia in the Nurpur area. He dared him to stop him from doing so. Reacting sharply to the announcement of party candidate by the district BJP president Ranjit Pathania for the Nurpur Assembly constituency, Rakesh Pathania said he had no lust for ticket and was even ready to leave his claim if district status was granted to Nurpur.
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HP employees to hold rally on May 1 Shimla, April 23 Besides various financial and other benefits in the wake of the pay revision on the pattern of Punjab, the confederation is also demanding regularisation of various categories of employees recruited on contract basis under different schemes. It was pointed out that Punjab had not only granted a time-bound scale with jumps after four, nine and 14 years of service, but also increased the grade pay of various categories. The mahasangh termed the plea of the government that it did not have the resources for granting these benefits as untenable, and asserted that if MLAs’ salaries could be increased, the employees could not be denied their due. It demanded the regularisation of daily-waged, contract and tenure employees, primary assistant teachers, along with those appointed through the Parent Teachers Association, and computer teachers engaged through private companies. It also demanded that vacant posts in all the departments be filled only through regular recruitment.
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Moscow students visit Nauni varsity
Solan, April 23 Since the two universities share similar climatic conditions, such a collaboration will help these share information on common issues of concern. The information came forth during a visit of a group of five students and Natallia Feshchanka, Director, International Programmes Office, Moscow State University of Environmental Engineering, to the department of environmental science of the Nauni university today. Water harvesting and equipment used to detect heavy metals in plants were also discussed. Dr SD Kashyap, Dean, College of Forestry, informed the group about the activities of the university and the College of Forestry. Dr Satish Kumar Bhardwaj, Head, Department of Environmental Science, apprised the team of various studies under way in the university. |
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CPM seeks support
Shimla, April 23 Launching the poll campaign, member of the party’s state secretariat Tikender Panwar said during the present term of the BJP in office, a large number of shady land deals had come to light in the city. The construction of apartments by the DLF in Kanhlog, the takeover of HIS school in Chharabra and the movement under the aegis of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association for the transfer of the historic Annandale ground to the state provided enough evidence of what the BJP was up to. Further, benami land deals involving of more than 1,000 bighas at Taradevi indicated that the government was playing the role of a facilitator to help land sharks. |
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Woman detected with rabies dies
Bilaspur, April 23 Geeta Devi became a victim of this fatal “dog disease” due to a puppy giving her scratches
on her foot which she took lightly. Gram panchayat president Gambhari Devi said villagers had been living in virtual panic as a number of rabid dogs are active in this area for the past several weeks. She said there was every possibility that these must have given rabies to other dogs and pets and cattle and the disease could erupt in a big way any time. She urged the district administration to ensure the immediate removal of all stray dogs from the area. |
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Insurance co. told to pay relief
Mandi, April 23 The complainant has alleged that he had insured his cow with the company. The cow fell ill and was treated at an animal’s hospital, but it died. He presented all the documents to the company, but it refused to pay him compensation, he charged. Hearing the complaint, the forum observed that the documents were valid and the company could not present any valid reason for rejecting his claims. |
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Cong seeks CBI probe into
PDS scam
Chamba, April 23 Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here today, state spokesperson of the HPCC Deepak Sharma alleged that several scams, including those concerning land deals, substandard seed distribution in the Agriculture Department, fodder in the “doodh ganga jal yojna”, mast headlights, and rampant corruption were flourishing in the BJP regime in the state. Sharma said a charge-sheet in this regard had already been submitted by the Congress party with ample evidence.
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HPU inks pact with corporate house
Shimla, April 23 The MoU was signed by CP Verma, Registrar, HPU, and Amreesh Ghai, General Manager, Neva Group of Industries, here today. Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai was also present on the occasion. Among those present were chairman of the department of commerce SS Narta, placement officer, commerce, Kulbhushan Chandel and Dean of Studies HS Banyal.
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Samiti flays govt over bad roads Chamba, April 23 After touring religious centres in
Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Chamba districts during the Ram Navami celebrations recently, president of the samiti Swami Virendrananda Giri spoke of the deteriorating state of roads in these regions with mediapersons here today. Nullifying the tall claims of the state government in respect of the all-round development in the state, government and private motor vehicles were badly affected as a sequel to the bad condition of roads, he said. Swami said the tourist inflow to Himachal Pradesh, which was known as the “land of gods and goddesses”, included a substantial number of devotees and pilgrims visiting the shrines of
Bharmour, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Kullu.
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