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CM inaugurates 192-MW Duhangan project
‘Incomplete’ bus station opened
Congress to probe BJP land deals: Virbhadra |
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Form policy on transfer of legal officers: HC
Black flags welcome Kasauli MLA
Stolen antique bell: Police conducts raids
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CM inaugurates 192-MW Duhangan project
Prini (Manali), September 13 The company claims that the project will produce 800 million units of electricity annually and the state will get 12 per cent free power as per the agreement signed with the company. The project has diverted water of the Duhangan river, hailed as Domya Ganga by locals, through a headrace tunnel linking it with the Allian river into a barrage that stores about 0.37 million cubic metre of water. The local BJP MLA thanked Dhumal for announcing funds worth Rs 2 crore for the two local panchayats. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said big companies would benefit local residents. He said the country needed over 1 lakh MW of power, but no serious efforts had been made by the Centre in this regard. Himachal had only 2,838 MW power in 1998 and when the BJP came to power in the state, the same was increased to 9,000 MW. Villagers charged that Prini village, which gave land to the project, had yet to have proper drains and sewerage lines even as Prini had emerged as a major tourist village with guest houses and hotels sprouting up all over the area from Aleo to Prini to Shuru. The project has acquired 79.42 hectares, 18 hectares from local villagers, and will run the same for 40 years. The village land is sinking as there are no proper retaining walls and drains. “The village still cries for proper street light and sewerage system and drainage,” rued Khem Raj Thakur, an Everester and resident of Prini. “The Hampta valley and Pandu Ropa should be opened to tourists allowing local taxis beyond the company’s barriers,” demanded panchayat pradhan Thakur Das, who gave representation to local MLA Govind Thakur and the Chief Minister. Prini has been a summer residence of former P M Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had visited his house here in 2005. “Vajpayee had dreamt big for Prini, but nothing concrete has been done so far,” villagers rued. Even Local Area Development Funds meant for the project-affected people were diverted to Bilaspur, charged villagers. The company manager, AD Hydro, Prini, claimed that the road belonged to the company and, hence, they had fenced it. The company had spent Rs 14 crore under LADA and funds were given to Bilaspur as company’s transmission line went through that district, he added. |
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‘Incomplete’ bus station opened
Mandi/Kullu, September 13 Addressing a gathering in Mandi after inaugurating the bus station, Dhumal said a part of the bus station was opened for the public and entry gate of the same would be named after late Capt Prem Singh Guleria, the first gallantry award winner. He also inaugurated the Rs 2.10-crore Grahan bridge over the Beas river near Pandoh. On the other hand, Lakshmender Guleria, convener of the Mandi Bachao Morcha, who has moved a PIL against the bus station in the high court seeking stay on its inauguration, said the government was still half-hearted towards soldiers in the state. “My father was the first gallantry award winner from Mandi,” he added. Congress Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, who was also present on the occasion, told The Tribune that the hurry with which the Chief Minister inaugurated the half-complete bus stand showed that the BJP was on its way out. The government was making announcements just because of the coming elections, he added. Earlier, addressing a gathering in Kullu, the Chief Minister said the state government would be considering enhancing the honorarium of grameen rojgar sahayaks from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,600 per month. He also announced that a hotel management and a catering institute would be set up at Manali. He also laid the foundation stone of a multi-storeyed parking lot for different departments at Kullu to be built at a cost of Rs 1 crore. He announced Rs 50 lakh for repair and maintenance of the mini secretariat at Dhalpur and Rs 50 lakh for the construction of the indoor stadium. Dhumal also sanctioned Rs 30 lakh additionally for the proposed combined office parking in Kullu. |
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Congress to probe BJP land deals: Virbhadra
Shimla, September 13 The BJP was on its way out and the sops being doled out to various sections by Chief Minister PK Dhumal for which no provision was made in the budget pointed to the same, he said. The Congress had always fulfilled its commitment to give pay scales on the pattern of Punjab to employees, but it was the fear of defeat that had forced Dhumal to announce pay grades and other benefits on the eve of the poll, he claimed. He said people of the state could not be misled. If Dhumal was sincere about protecting the interests of employees, he would have released these benefits which would entail an annual expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore long back or at least provided for the same in the budget. The unending stream announcements and the foundation stone-laying functions reflected his desperation. Regarding land deals, he said Dhumal had put “Himachal on sale” and the Congress would probe and review all the deals right from the permissions granted to builders and tourism projects to the opening of private universities and benami deals. Charges of corruption against Dhumal regime were not being levelled by Opposition parties alone, but even BJP leaders had put their government in the dock over the issue. He said his appointment as PCC chief in place of Kaul Singh would not create any regional imbalance as he was MP from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and Kaul Singh an MLA from one of its Assembly segments. |
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Coal blocks secured by twisting facts to be cancelled: Bansal
Shimla, September 13 “The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has been reviewing every case to ascertain whether or not the companies have adhered to the milestones set in the agreement to make the mines operational and in case there are slippages the allotment could be cancelled. In fact, the IMG had started the review soon after an announcement was made by the Finance Minister in the Budget session to this effect, much before the CAG report came out. Its report is expected around September 15,” said Bansal, who was in the city to counter what he termed as “misleading BJP propaganda on Coalgate”. Further, during the probe if it was established that certain companies had misrepresented facts pertaining to financial parameters, criminal action would be taken against them for which there was a provision in the law. However, coal blocks could not be de-allocated on the basis of the CAG report as these were allotted under a transparent policy and it would have legal complications. Coming to the CAG report, Bansal said there were several chinks in the final document and also some intriguing omissions that were the part of the draft. For instance, the draft had taken the grades (A,B,C,D,E,F) of coal in the allotted blocks into account and that they were of lowest E and F grade and duly made a table showing the losses. However, in the final report the table was missing and the loss was calculated on an average. The presumptive loss (Rs 1,86,000 crore) was worked out for the next 35 years on the basis of profits made by Coal India Limited, without taking into account the investment of Rs 3,30,000 lakh crore required to develop the mines and overlooking the fact that these were captive mines to facilitate steel, cement and power plants. Since 1993, the blocks were being allotted after recommendations made by the state government and it was the UPA regime which proposed to introduce competitive bidding in 2004 to bring transparency in the allotment process. However, the states concerned, mostly ruled by the BJP, opposed it on the ground that it would impinge on the state’s right to allot mines. The required norms could not be put in place due to stiff opposition from states, but after holding several rounds of talks a headway was made in the same. The Centre assured that the state would be allowed to retain the revenue generated through competitive bidding as well as the royalty on coal and relevant rules were being framed. |
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PM’s image takes a drubbing: Anurag
Solan, September 13 Anurag addressed rallies at Ramshehar, Diggal and Chandi. He said the BJP government in the state was heading for a repeat win in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls as it had undertaken the overall development of the state. He said developmental efforts had been recognised by various national-level agencies which had granted the state several awards. Attacking the UPA government at the Centre, he said the inimical and biased policies of the Congress-led UPA government had taken a toll on the Central industrial package, thus hitting employment generation for the youth. Giving details of various developmental works carried out by the BJP, Anurag claimed that the state government had spent Rs 53.36 crore for the development of Nalagarh as against Rs 22.50 crore spent by the previous Congress government. As many as 98 km of new roads were constructed by the BJP government for Nalagarh, while the previous government had barely constructed 74 km of roads. He said the UPA government was neck deep in corruption and the BJYM would expose them to the hilt by initiating a public campaign. He said the enormity of the Coalgate scam could be assessed from the fact that it had led to losses worth Rs 1,86,000 crore to the exchequer. BJP state general secretary and MLA Rajeev Bindal said the five-time Congress CM Virbhadra Singh had failed to do anything for the poor in the state. He said the BJP government, under the leadership of Chief Minister PK Dhumal, had strengthened education and health sectors in the state. |
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Sushant’s son not active member: HLP
Dharamsala, September 13 HLP leader Dullo Ram, a former BJP MLA, who recently joined the outfit, while responding to queries of mediapersons said Dhariya Sushant, son of Rajan Sushant, was no more an active member of the party. He, however, added that Dhariya had not submitted resignation to the party as yet. Dhariya was the state president of the youth wing of the HLP. Earlier, he had been at the forefront in carrying out the campaign of the HLP in Kangra district. He also organised a rally of the HLP in the Jawali area that was earlier represented by his father. The rally was addressed by HLP state president Maheshwar Singh. For the past about two months Dhariya has gone quiet and speculations are rife that his father has mended fences with the BJP party leadership. However, Dulo Ram said Rajan Sushant was a BJP MP and he had never left the party. Dulo Ram said the HLP would release its party manifesto on September 28 at a rally to be organised in Mandi district. Setting an agenda for the HLP from Kangra district, Dullo Ram said the BJP and the Congress leadership had ignored the area. Leaders of both parties sold the interests of the district in exchange for Cabinet berths. The HLP would contest all the Assembly seats in Kangra district and seven candidates of party from the district would be announced soon, he said. Dullo Ram said he would contest the coming Assembly elections on the HLP ticket from Palampur. Dullo Ram was ousted from the BJP after his fallout with Shanta Kumar. He is considered a prominent Gaddi leader of the Baijnath area. |
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Form policy on transfer of legal officers: HC
Shimla, September 13 This order was passed by the Division Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Rajiv Sharma on a petition filed by District Attorney, Kullu, NS Verma, whereby he had challenged his transfer order alleging that no transfer policy was being followed in the state. Passing the orders, the bench observed that the government should not post theses officers for a long period at a station and at their place of private practice. It further observed that the public prosecutor may develop friendly relationship with the bar members after a long stay or an opposite situation could arise. The Bench orally observed that this issue was directly concerned with the judicial institutions and the government has no specific policy. |
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Black flags welcome Kasauli MLA
Solan, September 13 INTUC state president Hardeep Bawa said it was regrettable to note that the construction work for the bus stand, the foundation stone for which had been laid by the Chief Minister was yet to begin. He said since various permissions were yet to be sought from various departments, its foundation stone had been laid in a hurry to befool the people. He said the MLA had inaugurated the schemes which had not only been sanctioned by the previous Congress regime but whose budgetary sanction too had been received during their tenure. He said the BJP was trying to take credit for the development works executed by the Congress.
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Stolen antique bell: Police conducts raids
Shimla, September 13 The police is waiting to get the custody of a resident of Totu who has been arrested by the Haryana police in a case of fake currency in the neighbouring state.
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