|
|
|
|
|
Assembly in session
Man declared dead waits for justice
Efforts to resume flights on: CM
Green tax: HC restrains MC
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
New-look HRTC soon
Villagers protest razing of houses
Villagers take out a procession in Palampur on Friday. Photo: Ravinder Sood
Residents resent outsiders’ influx sans police identification
Man defrauded of Rs 65,000
Man dies after eating poisonous herb
Five injured in mishap
World Consumer Day observed Two children drown in water tank New Solan DC
|
|
BJP members walk out of
House
Agitated over Pong Dam oustees’ resettlement issue Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 15 The issue was raised by BJP legislator Ravinder Singh Ravi as a private member’s resolution. Dissatisfied with Agriculture and Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania’s reply, Ravi wanted to speak but the Speaker denied him the chance to do so. This agitated the Opposition which was on its feet, accusing the government of trying to muzzle their voice. Refusing to withdraw the resolution, BJP members stated a walkout, raising anti-government slogans. Ravi said people of the state, particularly those who had been displaced to make way for Pong and Bhakra dams, had got a raw deal. “Being a small state, Himachal Pradesh has not been given its due even though the Supreme Court had directed the government to settle all oustees in its verdict in 1996,” he lamented. Intervening in the discussion, Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal urged the House to rise above political considerations and demand in one voice rehabilitation of oustees. “Governments of all political parties in Rajasthan had protected the interest of its people. We need to join hands to protect the rights of our people who are yet to get their due despite the Supreme Court verdict in their favour,” he said. Dhumal lamented that Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan had benefited from the Pong Dam, but they were not willing to share the pain of oustees. “It is time we understand their pain and plead their case with the Centre so that they get justice,” he added. In his reply, Pathania said 75,268 acres in 339 villages had been acquired, 226 villages had submerged and 20,722 families had been affected. He added that 14,998 families had been declared oustees and 10,584 of those had been issued eligibility certificates. “We are making constant efforts to get land for oustees and 2,229 cases have been sent to the Rajasthan government,” he said. Replying to Mahender Singh’s resolution seeking funds for flood protection and rainwater harvesting along the Manali-Kullu-Nadaun Beas catchment area, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes said the government was sensitive about the environment and a scheme to arrest the problem would be prepared. She said several small schemes had been undertaken during the BJP regime, but no major initiative had been taken. “We will prove through our actions instead of lip service that we are concerned about the issue,” she asserted. |
|
Man declared dead waits for justice
Dharamsala, March 15 Talking to The Tribune, Rummi Ram said his father passed away in 1960 when he was about 17 years old. He said he had no sibling and stayed with his aunt Panno Devi. He alleged that his uncles used to treat him like a servant and he fled to Mumbai (then called Bombay) with Sant Ram, another local youth. He said he had shifted to Bhopal and then to Jammu and Kashmir, where he worked as mason. He said he used to visit his village and stay with relatives. He said his wedding was solemnised in Madhya Pradesh and had three children. He said he had come back to Dharamsala after giving up working and started living as a tenant. He alleged that when he contacted his uncles regarding his share in ancestral land, they said they had sold it and there was no land in his name. He also alleged that his uncles offered to give him some land as compensation. Rummi Ram said he had met the local patwari who told him that he had been declared civil dead and his uncles Mahajan and Harbans Lal had got his land mutated in their name. He alleged that a fraud had been committed and his uncles had got him declared civil dead by presenting incorrect information before revenue officials concerned. He asserted that the land should have been mutated in his children’s name if he had been declared civil dead, but his uncles had got the land mutated in their name. He added that he had filed a case in the court of the Civil Judge (Junior Division) in Dharamsala in 1997 to prove that he was alive and his ancestral land had been usurped by next of his kin. Rummi Ram further said the judge had ruled in 2011 that he was alive and declared null, void and illegal the order of the District Collector on him being dead. He also said the court had declared him joint owner of his ancestral land along with his next of kin after demolition of structures on the land. He said his next of kin had maintained that he was not Rummi Ram, but the judge had rejected their assertion. The septuagenarian told The Tribune that he was still waiting to get possession of his land despite court orders. He was not sure if he would get his share, but wanted the issue of injustice to be settled.
|
|
|
Efforts to resume flights on: CM
Shimla, March 15 In reply to a query by Ravinder Singh Ravi of the Bharatiya Janata Party during Question Hour, the Chief Minister said it was a serious issue and he had requested the Prime Minister and the Union Civil Aviation Minister to provide aeroplanes so that flights from Shimla, Kullu and Kangra could be resumed at the earliest. “We held talks with officials of Air India and private airline companies,” he said. He said the main problem was the small runways which did not allow the landing of big aeroplanes and most companies did not have small aeroplanes. “Several surveys have been undertaken to assess the possibility of extending the Shimla and Kullu runways, but a final decision has not been taken yet,” he said. He added that a proposal has been given to either build a bridge over 500 metres on the Beas near the Kangra airport or dam the river to extend the runway. He said the government reduced the tax on aviation fuel from 5 per cent to 1 per cent in its Budget. In reply to a query by Maheshwar Singh of the Himachal Lokhit Party about deserving candidates from weaker sections not being included in the below poverty line list, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anil Sharma said the government was seized of the matter. “It has been decided to hold gram sabhas throughout the state on April 7 to delete names of ineligible candidates and include those of the deserving,” he said. He admitted that the poor and weaker sections were often unable to present a plea for inclusion in the list due to the hold of some influential persons. “We have appointed a supervisor to make the system transparent and this official is present at meetings to ensure that the deserving are included in the list,” he said. He said suggestions of PK Dhumal Jai Ram Thakur, Asha Kumari, Jagjivan Pal and other members of the House would be incorporated and changes would be made. |
|
Green tax: HC restrains MC
Shimla, March 15 While passing this order, a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice RB Misra and Justice Surinder Singh observed, “The barrier for collecting tax, levy by the municipal corporation on entry of vehicles in Shimla town, without the permission of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and in the absence of quid pro quo cannot be permitted at this stage. Therefore, till permission is obtained from the national highways authorities and parking facilities are made available, no obstruction of any kind to collect green tax or levy will be made by the MC, forthwith”. The court passed this order on a bunch of petitions challenging the green tax introduced by the MC on vehicles registered outside the state on the ground that the same is collected without obtaining mandatory clearances from the NHAI. The petitioner further mentioned that the MC was not providing any facility on account of payment of green fee. Newly erected barriers at the four entry points to Shimla for the collection of green tax are resulting in traffic jams, leaving tourists and locals harassed every day. The court further directed the respondents to file their replies by March 25. |
|
New-look HRTC soon
Shimla, March 15 This was stated by Transport minister GS Bali here today. Back as Transport minister for the second time, Bali in his fresh innings wants the HRTC to come out of its losses and emerge as a competent service provider. Within a short span of two-and-a-half months, the mileage being clocked by HRTC buses has improved from 3.59 to 3.75 km per l, with improvement in even one point saving Rs 26 lakh for the corporation facing severe financial problems. “There must be some uniformity so that commuters can easily identify state-owned buses from private buses and the task has been assigned to the
NIFT,” he said. He said a uniform would also be designed for the drivers and conductors which would not only give them a distinct identity but also a professional look. Bali told commuters to ensure that conductors should give them tickets as on being caught travelling without ticket, they would be punished more severely than the conductor. “The passenger will be held responsible for ticket less travelling as this results in loss of taxes to the government,” he said. New scheme
The HRTC plans to start ‘Our Own Vehicle’, which will help in providing services in areas where buses do not ply despite road connectivity and help in tackling unemployment. An applicant on payment of Rs 1.50 lakh will be provided a 25-seater bus along with a conductor and maintenance charges. The applicant will have to pay for the salary of the driver and after six years, he will get back the security while the bus will be transferred in his name after eight years. The applicant will have to run the bus on the same route for at least two years after return of security. |
|
|
Villagers protest razing of houses
Palampur, March 15 The residents termed the action of the Forest Department as “illegal” and uncalled for. They demanded that the anti-encroachment drive should be stopped immediately. They said they were landless and had constructed houses on this land about 40 years ago. They alleged that the department was adopting a pick and choose policy. They urged the government to give them compensation and alternative land. The protesters marched through the main streets and later held a rally at Gandhi ground, where speakers criticised the government. They submitted a memorandum to SDM Bhupinder Attari and urged him to intervene and save them from the “high-handedness” of the officials of the Forest Department.
BJP leaders Parveen Sharma and Vipan Singh Parmar and Vinay Sharma condemned the campaign of the Congress government and demanded rehabilitation of all the affected persons. They said if the state government failed to take action, the BJP would stage a protest in support of the affected villagers. |
|
|
Residents resent outsiders’ influx sans police identification
Kangra, March 15 A large number of people described the situation as disturbing as the outsiders managed to get shops on rent in different localities, even just outside the police station, on exorbitantly higher rents. They alleged that these shops were taken on rent of Rs 20,000 per month without any visible business. When people enquired about the identities of the shopkeepers, the police had no information in this regard. None of these shopkeepers had got themselves registered with the police. Inspector General of Police Rakesh Aggrawal was informed over the phone. Kangra SHO Mohinder Singh Manhas said the issues were being verified. |
|
Man defrauded of Rs 65,000
Nurpur, March 15 According to the police, the complainant, has a bank account with the PNB, Nurpur, tried to draw money from the ATM of the bank on March 6, but he failed to do so. An unidentified person, who was waiting for his turn to use the ATM, assisted him in withdrawing Rs 15,000 but he cleverly exchanged his card. Joginder again visited the ATM on March 11 to withdraw money but its pin number did not work. On inquiring from the bank, he came to know that his ATM card had been exchanged and his bank balance of Rs 65,000 withdrawn. The police has asked the bank for the CCTV footage of the ATM. |
|
Man dies after eating poisonous herb
Bilaspur, March 15 Reports said Prem and one of his friends had brought a very popular and delicious herbal root from a nearby jungle and got it prepared for a meal of
the family. But as soon as the family of five ate this wild herbal vegetable, they started vomitting. All of them were rushed to the Regional Hospital, where Prem was declared brought dead, while the other four are said to be recovering. |
|
Five injured in mishap
Palampur, March 15 The five persons in the car were on way to the Medical College at Tanda. The police reached the spot and shifted the injured to the local Civil Hospital. The police said accident occurred because of rash driving. A case under Section 304-A of the IPC was registered against the driver of the truck. |
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today staged a walkout over the issue of resettlement of Pong Dam oustees who, according to them, had not been rehabilitated despite sacrificing in national interest land and homes almost five decades ago.
Palampur, March 15
