P R A D E S H
Wednesday, August 18, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Wednesday, August 18, 1999 |
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Virbhadra ‘not in
touch with NCP’ NSUI men allege harassment |
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President's Police Medal
for 2 Husband seeks protection from wife ABVP strike enters second day Una Youth Congress unit dissolved 2 students hurt in clash 10-year jail for rape |
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Virbhadra ‘not in touch with NCP’ SHIMLA, Aug 17 (PTI) — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Commitee general secretary, Mr G.C. Bali, yesteday lambasted the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) observer for Himachal Pradesh, Mr Shyam Bihari, for his reported statement that former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and some other Congress MLAs were in touch with the party high command and a former Chief Minister was among the claimants for the presidentship of the state unit of the party. Talking to newspersons here, he said it was a deeprooted conspiracy to malign the former Chief Minister who was also the leader of the LCP and tarnish his image. Mr Singh was a loyal Congressman and had no contact whatsoever with any NCP leader, he added. He said the Congress was united and there was no question of any party MLA having any link with the NCP. Bali urged the state government to make the Shukla Committee report on alleged illegal appointments made during the previous Congress regime public and asked the government to issue a White Paper on about 5,000 appointments made in public works and some other departments and corporations in violation of Finance Department guidelines. He alleged that the government was harassing senior Congress leaders by releasing "tailored reports" on the eve of elections. He said the BJP had
failed to fulfil its promises and claimed that the
Congress would win all four seats. |
NSUI men allege harassment DHARAMSALA, Aug 17 — The National Students of India (NSUI), today alleged that names of its activists were unnecessarily being dragged into yesterday's clashes to get political mileage. Addressing a press conference here the district president of the NSUI, Mr Rohit Thakur, said though none of its activists was involved in the clashes that took place on the college campus yesterday, the ABVP was putting the blame on them to get political mileage out of it. "It is a clear-cut case of political victimisation, as hostel prefect and chief executive of the NSUI Pushpinder Chauhan, had been picked up by the police, whereas he was in no way involved in the incident", he stated. Former general-secretary of the NSUI, Sumeet Khanna, said they were opposed to violent activities in the college and would under no circumstances tolerate the manhandling and insult of teachers, he said. He reiterated his organisation's commitment to maintain the academic atmosphere in the college and warned that they would oppose the disrupting of classes by the ABVP in future. Mr Khanna criticised the college authorities for failing to put a check on those, who were vitiating the academic atmosphere of the college. He added that it was due to the laxity on the part of the authorities that the situation had become so bad. He alleged that the college authorities were keeping quiet on the issue due to their political compulsions. He feared that the students owing allegiance to the NSUI would be implicated in false cases due to political interference in the college matters. Meanwhile, state general
secretary of the ABVP Umesh Dutt, alleged that those
involved in yesterday's clashes belonged to the college
hostel. He demanded that the hostel should be closed as
it had become the centre of various illegal activities.
He threatened that they would not allow the holding of
classes till the hostel was closed. Meanwhile teaching
work remained suspended due to the strike by the teachers
in protest against the manhandling of two of their
colleagues on Monday. |
HP Raj Bhavan has
unauthorised additions SHIMLA, Aug 17 — Additions and alterations in the Raj Bhavan and construction of the multi-storeyed building of the high court are among the 1,755 unauthorised buildings within the jurisdiction of the Shimla Municipal Corporation. The Himachal Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing, Mr Roop Dass Kashyap disclosed it in the Vidhan Sabha today in reply to a question of Mr Harsh Mahajan (Cong). Mr Kashyap said 93 cases of unauthorised construction of government and semi-government buildings had been detected in the town. Among the buildings identified unauthorised by the minister, is the office of the Director, Town and Country Planning, which is supposed to take cognizance of all such activity. Among the other unauthorised constructions are the houses of Judges at Keleston Estate, All India Radio, MLAs quarters near the Vidhan Sabha and metropole, the Vidhan Sabha building at Kennedy House, Sessions Judge at Kaithu, district court complex on The Mall, Ministers’ houses at Chhotta Shimla and near the Himachal Bhavan, police headquarters at Khalini, HP university complex, Central School at Jakhoo, the ropeway from Shivalik hotel to Jakhu temple, and the PWD headquarters building at Nigam Vihar. The minister said 300 unauthorised constructions had been detected in the areas which recently were merged in the Shimla Municipal Corporation. All these constructions have come up in the last nine years between January 1990 to February 1999. The members expressed concern over illegal construction activity in the town which was affecting the green cover. Mr Virbhadra Singh (Cong) stressed the need to preserve the forest area in the town. Mr Mahajan (Cong) pointed out that several constructions were being done despite of notices having been served on them. The staff of the Municipal Corporation should be empowered to take on-the-spot action against such constructions. In a written reply to a question of Mrs Viplove Thakur (Cong), the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal informed her that 23,032 employees were transferred between March 24, 1998 and February 28, 1999. Of these 6,377 had not completed their tenure of three years posting. In a written reply to another question, the Transport Minister Mr K.K. Kapoor, said that 110 persons were killed and 436 injured in 81 bus accidents in four months in Himachal. These accidents took place between April 1, 1999 to July 31, 1999. The minister said that 55 persons died in accidents in which private buses were involved, while 54 lost their lives in accidents of HRTC buses. The minister informed that Shimla topped the list with 19 accidents, followed by 11 in Kangra and 10 each in Mandi and Una districts. Of the 19 accidents in the Shimla district, 15 were of HRTC buses. He said that buses of the HRTC were involved in 54 accidents, while private buses were involved in 26 cases. The minister said that applications will be sought for plying more private buses after the Lok Sabha elections. The question was tabled by Mr Raghu Raj, Mr Kaul Singh, Mr Chander Kumar, Mr Ishwar Dass and Mr Rangila Ram Rao (all Cong). In written reply to a question of Mr Gangu Ram Musafir (Cong), the Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, informed him that candidates had not been selected for this year’s MBBS course in the medical college at Tanda as permission of the Central Government for admission for the second year was awaited. In written reply to another question of Mr Musafir, the Chief Minister informed him that 178 complaints were pending with the state Human Rights Commission as on July 31, 1999. As many as 231 complaints were disposed of during the period. Earlier, at the opening
of the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, tributes were
paid to Mr Piru Ram and Mr Gian Chand, former members of
the House who died recently. Members stood in silence as
a mark of respect to them. |
President's Police Medal for 2 SHIMLA, Aug 17 — Mr
Ashwani Kumar, Inspector-General of Police, Railways and
Traffic, and Mr Rama Nand, DSP, CID, have been awarded
the President's Police Medal for distinguished service.
Mr Jai Ram Katoch, Inspector, Vigilance; Mr Kashmiroo
Ram, Inspector of Kot police station in Bilaspur; and Mr
Kishori Lal, Sub-Inspector (Wireless), have been awarded
the Police Medal for meritorious service. |
Husband seeks protection from
wife HAMIRPUR, Aug 17 — Incidents of atrocities on women folk are common. But an incident in which a person has demanded justice from the state government to protect him from his wife has created news in the district. Mr, Om Parkash, who hails from the Balh Bagh area of the district and runs a shop, in an affidavit released to the press, has alleged that his wife with the help of the ward panch Mr Dhani Ram, is torturing him. He has stated that they frequently beat him up and have even threatened to kill him. He said though he had lodged a number of complaints with the Bhoranj police station of the district and had also met the senior district officers, no action had been taken so far. Mr Om Parkash says he
has no enmity with his wife and the panch, but does not
know why they are trying to harm him. |
ABVP strike enters second day HAMIRPUR, Aug 17 — An indefinite strike by activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of the local Government College entered its second day today. The students have been demanding immediate announcement of dates for the SCA elections, withdrawal of the fee-hike and filling of all vacancies of the teaching and non-teaching staff in the college. The students boycotted classes today, raised slogans and held a rally on the campus, according to Mr Rajnish Jamwal, vice-president of the ABVP. He said the strike would
continue till all demands were acceptd. He called upon
the Chief Minister, Prof, Prem Kumar Dhumal, to intervene
and prevent the situation from worsening. |
Una Youth Congress unit
dissolved SHIMLA, Aug 17 — The Una district unit of the Youth Congress has been dissolved by the state president of the party, Mr Sukhwinder Singh. He has sought an
explanation from some office-bearers of the unit who
allegedly indulged in indiscipline. |
2 students hurt in clash PALAMPUR, Aug 17 (PTI) — Two students were injured in a group clash between students of Government Degree College, Dharamsala yesterday. Dheeraj Sharma, President of the ABVP campus unit, was stabbed during the fight and admitted to Dr R.P. Medical College Hospital where he was stated to be out of danger. The clash took place when students protesting against the failure of the college authorities to concede their demands, entered the Principal’s office and damaged property. Later the two groups clashed near the parking where Dheeraj was stabbed. Acting Principal Dr M.M.
Bedi called the police but before it could swing into
action the students fled and regrouped near the new
campus and resorted to stone pelting . Later, the police
was able to bring the situation under control. It has
registered a complaint of ABVP president Dheeraj Sharma
but no arrest has so far been made. |
10-year jail for rape SHIMLA, Aug 17 — Mr Surjit Singh, District and Sessions Judge, today sentenced one Pratap Singh to 10 years imprisonment for having raped a student of sixth class of Himri village in Shimla district. He has also been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5000. The judge also convicted his accomplice, Karan Bahadur, to five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2000. The girl was raped in
1996 while she was grazing her cattle. |
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