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Uncertainty over Speaker, Deputy Speaker still
on
Northern states lag in submitting projects, says Chandresh Kumari
AGENDA HIMACHAL |
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Sustaining industrial growth major challenge
Forest Minister outlines strategy to curb monkey menace
Vacant posts of doctor to be filled: Kaul Singh
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, accompanied by Sundernagar legislator Sohan Lal Thakur, greets the public in Mandi on Saturday. Photo: Jai Kumar
Licensing authority officer remanded in judicial custody
Special HPTDC offer for women
Shepherd who ate
adulterated food dead
Man killed in road accident
CM to attend Lohri function at Jawalamukhi
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Uncertainty over Speaker, Deputy Speaker still
on
Shimla, January 5 A decision on the names of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker is likely to be taken in the meeting that Virbhadra Singh has with Sonia Gandhi tonight or tomorrow. AICC general secretary and state affairs in charge Birender Singh Chaudhary will be present at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting scheduled to be held in Dharamsala on the evening of January 7. “No official announcement of the names of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker have been made so far. The disclosure in this regard will be made only at the CLP meeting,” Chaudhary said. He hinted that the election to the post of Deputy Speaker might be deferred as it was not a constitutional compulsion. The election of the Speaker has to be held on January 9 as legislators will take oath on the first day of the session on January 8. Nominations for the post of Speaker have to be filed on January 8. Even though the names of Chintpurni legislator and former minister Kuldeep Kumar and Kinnaur legislator Jagat Singh Negi are being considered unofficially, changes can be expected in view of the latest political developments. The names of Chamba legislator and former minister Asha Kumari, who is an AICC secretary, Kuldeep Kumar and Palampur legislator and former minister Brij Bihari Lal Butail are doing the rounds. There are reports that there can be a rethink on Anil Sharma and Karan Singh, who are tipped to be ministers. With the rival camp insisting that Butail be accommodated in the Cabinet, Karan Singh may be made the Deputy Speaker. There are indications that three of the five Independent legislators, Balbir Verma from Chopal, Karnesh Jung from Paonta Sahib and Manohar Dhiman from Gangath, can extend support to the Congress, which will be significant for the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. The lone Himachal Lokhit Party legislator, Maheshewar Singh, is also likely to support the Congress on vital issues. Congress leaders are also in touch with Pawan Kajal, the Independent legislator from Kangra, as he may side with the Congress as well. Intensive lobbying is also on for the post of state Congress chief following Virbhadra Singh’s resignation from the post. A decision in this regard may be taken soon, but the possibility is high of a working president being appointed till the general election in 2014.
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Northern states lag in submitting projects, says Chandresh Kumari
Dharamsala, January 5 She said the ministry had ample funds to be given for the conservation of archaeological heritage and promotion of culture and has a planned budget of Rs 8,000 crore. To get these funds, state governments had to submit projects, she said. Even if the Union ministry wanted to do something on its own in some state, it had to seek the approval of the state government, she added. Manipur had been at the front in getting grants from the Ministry of Culture while all Northern states had been lagging behind, she said. Chandresh Kumari said she had some projects in mind for Himachal Pradesh. These included developing a culture centre in Kangra district, she said. She would send a proposal to the state government, but the success of the project would depend on the acceptance of the state government, she said. She also said the state governments had been lax in protection of heritage sites and had not been implementing the ban on construction within a periphery of 200 metres from heritage sites. She pointed out that a telephone tower had come up near the Archaeological Survey of India-protected Sujanpur fort and the Mini-Secretariat near the Nurpur fort. During the Commonwealth Games, a special committee was formed by the Union Ministry of Culture to regularise certain constructions near heritage and protected sites, she said. The then Himachal Pradesh government missed the opportunity by submitting its case for the regularisation of the Mini-Secretariat building in Nurpur at that time, she added. As the guidelines for the ban on construction within 200 metres of protected monuments were implemented on the directions of the Supreme Court, it remained to be seen how the Mini-Secretariat building in Nurpur subdivision could be regularised, she said. She also said the Union Ministry of Culture was trying to get world heritage status for the Jaisalmer fort in Rajasthan, but the municipal council there had allowed a vegetable market along the walls of the fort. She said they had requested the Rajasthan government to move the vegetable market from the vicinity of the fort. The Union minister said she had mooted the proposal of involvement of North Zone Cultural Centre artistes in summer festivals organised in Himachal Pradesh. The involvement of cultural centre artistes in summer festivals could bring national-level artistes from across the country to summer festivals in the state, she added. The minister further said her ministry was also planning to organise national-level food festivals to promote the food heritage of the country. |
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Haphazard urban growth will demand govt attention
Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 5 The pending issue of scrapping of the Himachal Pradesh Property and Apartment (Regulation) Act, 2005, is still hanging fire despite the select committee of the Vidhan Sabha recommending its scrapping and merger with the Town and Country Planning Act. Even after the recommendation for the scrapping of the Act, more cases were approved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime. The issue of closely examining the apartment Act had been assigned to the select committee of the Vidhan Sabha, headed by Suresh Bhardwaj, legislator from Shimla. The committee comprising legislators, both from the Congress and the BJP, had recommended the scrapping of the Act and its merger with the TCP Act. The issue of dilution of the Tenancy and Land Reform Act, 1972, could also be looked into by the Congress regime as this had helped many outsiders to make land purchases in the hill state. With the issue of purchase of hundreds of acres by some private universities becoming a major political issue, all such land deals can come under the scanner of investigating agencies. The government will also have to act tough with projects coming up in tourism, health and education sectors, which fall outside planning limits. Those setting up the projects are getting away without having to pay extra for the strain it will put on local resources. As such, some norms will have to be made so that they are made to pay for water, power and road connectivity, besides other facilities needed for mega-projects. Some of the controversial projects by private builders in Shimla, Solan and Kasauli which became a cause of embarrassment for the previous BJP regime in and outside the House can have to face scrutiny. These include the controversial Bemloe Housing Development Project, which was granted the requisite permission within a short span as it was allowed to come up amid a thick deodar forest. Considering haphazard urban growth, especially in Shimla, Manali, Kasauli, Dalhousie and Kullu, the Town and Country Planning Act will have to be enforced stringently. Some areas adjoining urban centres witnessing a spurt in growth and construction activity which were excluded from planning areas need to be included so that strict regulations can be enforced to ensure regulated growth. The Shimla Development Plan, submitted for approval, is awaiting the nod of the government for the last many years. Even after three decades, the growth of the town is based on the interim development plan. Decongestion of the town and implementing the City Mobility Plan are some of the challenges for the government which need to be initiated if the “Queen of Hills” has to be saved from further degradation and its lost glory restored. The failure of various agencies in seeking funds under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for the capital town is also an area of concern. Proposals for projects worth Rs 3,700 crore which had been formulated were never pursued and detailed projects reports not made, resulting in the town losing out on several crores of funds. A huge amount of funds can be availed of under the JNNURM for the capital town under various heads like housing for the urban poor, urban transport and strengthening of other infrastructural facilities.
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Govt polytechnic will be upgraded to engineering college soon: Bali
Kangra, January 5 This was announced by GS Bali, Minister for Technical Education, Transport and Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, at a press conference at the Tandon Club here. The minister said the Secretary, Technical Education, would visit the Kangra polytechnic shortly in this connection. Bali said this engineering college would help students of Chamba and Kangra districts get technical education in engineering at their doorstep. When asked how much time it would take to start this college, Bali said it did not take much time to implement his decisions. He said outlets would be set up at bus stands to provide consumable items to pilgrims, tourists and local people on no-profit no-loss basis. Bali said a new fleet of buses would be inducted into the
HRTC, and to provide security to women the HRTC would start bus service between Dharamsala, Kangra and
DRPGMC, Tanda, exclusively for women passengers between 5 pm and 10 pm regularly and the bus would be without a conductor. Genuine demands of the HRTC employees would be looked into sympathetically, he added. He said his mobile phone number would be written on all HRTC buses, technical institutions and universities, besides on food and consumer affair depots so that he was made aware of the genuine grievances of people. Regarding the Central University issue, Bali said the university establishment could be made wherever land was available. Earlier, Bali was accorded a rousing reception on reaching this temple town, the first time after assuming the office as minister. He was received by District Congress Committee and BCC office-bearers of Una and Kangra districts en route from Mehatpur in Una district to his constituency of Nagrota
Bagwan. Bali was received by the faculty of MCM DAV College and members of the HP Technical Education Union. Members of the union said their salaries based on 4-9-14 on the Punjab pattern should be given to them as this demand was part of the poll manifesto of the
Congress. Raghuvir Singh Bali, state vice-president, Youth Congress, Raizon Sati, DCC president,
Una, Ankush Kalia, MLA, Gaggrat, Mohan Lal, BCC chief, and Sanjay Rattan, MLA,
Jawalamukhi, and Harish Kapoor, DCC general secretary, received Bali at different places. Bali paid obeisance at Jawalamukhi and Chamunda Devi today. |
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Sustaining industrial growth major challenge
Solan, January 5 With little incentive to stay back in Himachal, industries, particularly pharmaceutical units, are shifting their low-volume high-value products to other states where the Central industrial package is still available, like in
Sikkim. The pharmaceutical units in the BBN industrial belt are now converting their facilities into export-oriented units with few products for domestic sales. Since the Central excise incentive has been scaled down from the earlier 16 to 2 per cent, now the profitability of the units here had been drastically reduced. The state has drawn an investment of over Rs 10,000 crore with the commissioning of 4,450 industrial units though the pace of investment had slowed down after March 2010. The introduction of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme has created a scarcity of labour and the available labour is at a higher cost which is leading to a substantial increase in the cost of production. The non-availability of cheap accommodation has been a major deterrent for labourers to stay back in the industrial belt though two labour hostels are coming up in the BBN belt now. Though a skill development centre is coming up in the BBN belt to help enhance the employability skills of local youth and increase their scope of gaining employment, had such a centre come up during the peak of the industrial package it would have helped provide employment to a large number of youth. Several industries like textile, automobile sectors etc continue to face shortage of skilled
labour, thus forcing them to hire skilled professionals from outside. It was, however, also noticed that investors shied away from employing
Himachalis, and local youth continued to suffer as far as employment in the industries was concerned. Several cases of units employing fewer Himachali youth than the stipulated 70 per cent had come to the fore, but no action was ever taken against the erring units. Non-availability of adequate and timely funds to maintain internal roads of the BBN area, especially the Export Promotion Industrial Park,
Jharmajri, has been the oft-repeated grouse of investors who have been seeking timely availability of funds. Timely completion of various public private partnership mode projects like Mini Tool Room,
CETP, Skill Development Centre and Trade Centre will go a long way in facilitating the industry, and these should be completed on priority. |
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Forest Minister outlines strategy to curb monkey menace
Nurpur, January 5 Outlining the department’s strategy in a press conference here, he said monkeys would be retained in their original habitat within six months and apart from providing shelter, the department would also feed them with the help of people. “The department will also plant mixed species of fruit and green fodder in the forests so that monkeys do not leave their habitat for food and damage farmers’ crops,” he added. Expressing concern over the growth of lantana and congress weeds in forest areas and pastures, the Forest Minister said the department would also take an initiative to eliminate these weeds and grow green fodder in the pastures with an objective to revive the diminishing sheep rearing industry in the hill state. He admitted that shepherds were leaving this traditional avocation due to disappearance of green pastures in the state. The minister informed that the Forest Department henceforth would extract resin from pine trees in the forests with scientific techniques so that pine trees could be conserved. “Earlier this job was entrusted to the state Forest Corporation through private contractors who were resorting to unscientific ways to tap resin from pine trees,” he asserted. He also informed that the department had earmarked Rs 1 crore for the maintenance and repair of residences of field staff of the department and in the second phase forest rest houses would be given a facelift as these were in a bad shape. On this occasion local MLA Ajay Mahajan and former MLA Ranjit Bakshi were also present. |
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Vacant posts of doctor to be filled: Kaul Singh
Mandi, January 5 After a rousing reception here, Kaul Singh avoided any comment on the ongoing controversy while addressing a function. He had staked his claim to the post of Public Works Department Minister, but the Chief Minister kept it with himself. After lobbying for his supporters with the party high command in New Delhi, Kaul Singh appeared to be sulking. He thanked the people and party workers for voting the Congress back to power. He said the government would fulfil all promises made in the election manifesto and initiate reforms in the Revenue Department. In his brief speech, the minister said the government would fill vacant posts of doctor in hospitals and work for the betterment of patients by improving the health delivery system in the state. Kaul Singh was accompanied by Sundernagar legislator Sohan Lal Thakur, district unit president Puran Chand and Darang leaders and workers. They raised slogans in his support. Virbhadra Singh loyalists were not present. Mandi legislator Anil Sharma, Excise and Taxation Minister Parkash Chaudhary, Karsog legislator Mansa Ram, Rangila Ram Rao, Chander Shekhar, Chet Ram and Tara Thakur were conspicuous with their absence. |
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Licensing authority officer remanded in judicial custody
Solan, January 5 His earlier remand in the judicial custody had expired today. Bureau sleuths were investigating how his close kin had acquired various properties and since Dhiman had little investment under his own name, officials were trying to establish how various financial transactions had been made by his kin whose sources of income were disproportionate to their known sources of income. A key angle of the investigation was possession of Rs 10 lakh by his nephew who had an account in Punjab National Bank at Chandigarh’s Sector 17 branch and the origin of this amount as he was a student. Interestingly, his account also received payments of a rented property which is in Kapil Dhiman’s mother’s name. The bureau sleuths were verifying details of money transacted through various bank accounts of his close kin. Since the investigation involving his kin and their financial transactions, the bureau had a tedious task in trying to establish his involvement in such investments. |
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Special HPTDC offer for women
Shimla, January 5 Subhasish Panda, HPTDC Managing Director, said this 10 per cent discount would be over and above the winter discount being offered at various hotels. He said this special package was being offered as a mark of solidarity with women who had been victims of atrocities. “Women occupy a special place in society as a mother, sister and daughter and they are held in high esteem in all these roles,” he remarked. Panda further said Himachal Pradesh had always been a peaceful state and women in the state were given the highest regard, esteem and affection and they shared equal space with men. He directed all units of the HPTDC to take special care of woman guests staying at the units and those travelling by HPTDC transport. He said the offer would be applicable with effect from January 5 to March 31. |
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Shepherd who ate
adulterated food dead
Dalhousie, January 5 He and his son Harish Singh had come from Patreda village in Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir to purchase sheep and goats. After
purchasing sheep and goats for Rs 26,000 from a resident of Kandla
village, they ate food at the seller’s house and stayed there. Soon after eating the food, Baboo Ram fell ill and was rushed to the NHPC Hospital, where he died. His son was still under treatment at the hospital. DSP (Headquarters) Kulbhushan Verma confirmed the incident. |
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Man killed in road accident
Kangra, January 5 A case under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A, IPC, was registered and bus driver Gurmeet Singh of Pragpur village arrested. The body was sent for postmortem. |
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CM to attend Lohri function at Jawalamukhi
Kangra: Virbhadra Singh will preside over state-level Lohri function at Pragpur on January 12 in the day and at Jawalamukhi in the evening on the same day. A spokesman said Virbhadra Singh would attend the first Vidhan Sabha session after assuming the office of Chief Minister at Dharamsala from January 8 to 11, 2013. On January 11, he would address a public meeting at 12 noon near the Vidhan Sabha complex ground.
— OC |
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Dharamsala, January 5
Refusing to comment on the controversy over the appointment of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of government-run boards and corporations and the tug-of-war for the post of state party president, Health and Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today said the government would fill all vacant posts of doctor and initiate reforms in the Revenue Department to give relief to the people.
