P R A D E S H
Friday, July 16, 1999
|
H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
|
Friday, July 16, 1999 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
|
|
Cong men keen on Sukh
Ram's return |
 |
|
|
No enteritis death in
district: CMO Arrest
criminals, demand villagers HRTC
workers block traffic Enteritis
claims 2 lives Treasuries
stop payments |
|||||
 |
||||||
Cong men keen on Sukh Ram's
return SHIMLA, July 15 — Certain Congress leaders have reportedly suggested to the party high command to initiate a dialogue with the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) leader, Mr Sukh Ram, for his re-entry into the party to prevent splitting of votes in the coming Lok Sabha elections. It is learnt that some senior leaders of the party made the suggestion to Mr R.K. Dhawan, General Secretary of the AICC, and other party functionaries, urging that the splitting of votes should be prevented at any cost in Himachal Pradesh, which has four Lok Sabha seats. Most of those who reportedly suggested revocation of the expulsion of Mr Sukh Ram from the Congress belong to the faction led by Mr Sat Mahajan, PCC chief. The Congress party had lost at least 14 seats in the previous assembly elections only because of a splitting of votes caused by the HVC. Certain Congress men claimed that negotiations with Mr Sukh Ram at the level of the AICC were at a preliminary stage. They claimed that the Congress had been deprived of a potential candidate for the Mandi constituency following the expulsion of Mr Sukh Ram and his subsequent support to the BJP. The AICC shall have to do a tight-rope walk in this regard in view of the soured relations between Mr Sukh Ram and Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the CLP. Mr Dhawan had told newsmen here that there was no plan to take Mr Sukh Ram back into the Congress at present without any request from him. Mr Virbhadra Singh has so far refused to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mandi constituency though certain leaders are trying to push him to do so. The Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) of the Congress is meeting here on July 18 to finalise its list of candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats. The candidature for three seats is more or less confirmed. Sources say that Mr K.D. Sultanpuri and Mr Sat Mahajan might again be the Congress candidates from Shimla and Kangra constituencies, respectively. Mr N.C. Parashar's name might be recommended for the party ticket for the Hamirpur seat. The ruling BJP had won three of the four seats in the dissolved Lok Sabha. It is not clear whether the BJP will accept Mr Sukh Ram's demand for leaving two of the four seats for the HVC. The HVC is reportedly staking a claim for the Shimla (Reserved) and Mandi seats. The HVC has virtually launched its election campaign in the Shimla constituency with its ministers frequently touring the interior areas of Shimla district and Sirmour. Mr Sukh Ram has so far been maintaining that his alliance with the BJP will continue and claiming that the Dhumal government will complete its full term of five years. Mr Dhumal's policy of carrying along his detractors has so far paid dividends. But the dissidence by a section of the BJP might create problems if not handled properly before the elections. Both the BJP and the Congress are trying to present a picture of intra-party unity. Three ministers and a few MLAs of Kangra district, who are considered supporters of Mr Shanta Kumar, have said that Mr Dhumal is their undisputed leader. On the other hand,
during his recent visit here, Mr Dhawan asked Mr
Virbhadra Singh and Mr Sat Mahajan to sink their
differences and tour various areas of the state together. |
|
Jawalamukhi
episode responsible: Bali SHIMLA, July 15 — Mr G.S. Bali, General Secretary of the (PCC), said that the re-surfacing of dissidence in the ruling BJP is an outcome of the Jawalamukhi episode wherein the factions led by Mr Shanta Kumar and Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, had publicly clashed. Talking to newsmen here today, Mr Bali alleged that supporters of Mr Shanta Kumar in the ministry were trying to destabilise the Dhumal government and the Government would collapse under its own weight. Mr Bali pointed out that had the BJP house been in order there was no need to parade the Shanta group ministers and legislators before the Press to pledge their support to Mr Dhumal. Certain BJP leaders of Kangra had been accusing the government of discriminating against the area. He accused the BJP-HVC government of always trying to divide the people of old and new merged areas of the state. He alleged the three Cabinet ministers Mr Vidya Sagar, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary and Mr K.K. Kapoor, who are considered supporters of Mr Shanta Kumar, were not in a position to face the people of their respective areas as the election promises made by them had not been implemented. Mr Ramesh Chaudhary in particular had promised that he would ensure 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government jobs and create a new district with headquarters at Dehra. But none of these promises had been fulfilled even after the BJP completing about 16 months in office. Mr Bali said the BJP leadership was trying to divert the attention of the people from their infighting by accusing the Congress of being responsible for the divide in the party. He alleged certain ministers in the Dhumal Government were not functioning in a responsible manner. He alleged the HRTC
policy was being amended to enable certain influential
persons to operate their private buses on inter-state
routes. Unemployed youth should be given first preference
for operating buses on inter-state routes. |
Default in provident fund
detected SHIMLA, July 15 — The employees provident fund organisation has detected a default of over Rs 1.12 crore in payment of provident fund contributions in the H.P. State Forest Corporation. The Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Bansal, has ordered the authorities of the Mandi division of the corporation to deposit the assessed dues within 15 days. He said the corporation, a state government undertaking, had defaulted in payment of provident fund contributions and other dues in respect of labour engaged through contractors at its forest working division, Mandi, since April, 1982. The Commissioner
assessed the statutory dues under Section 7-A of the
Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions
Act, 1952. |
No
enteritis death in district: CMO KANGRA, July 15 — Kangra district has experienced rise in gastroenteritis cases from different parts but no death was reported from any where, official sources said here today. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr M L Vaidiya, today said no death was reported from any part of the district. However, one each case of the disease was reported from Sukhar, Dari, Danoo, Kaniyara, Rajiana, Baroh, Thanpuri villages and two from Yol. Dr Vaidiya denied the reports in media that two persons were killed in the district due to this disease. He clarified Reshmi Devi of Drani village died of cardiac vascular arrest and Kartar Chand died due to tuberculosis. He said a team of
doctors headed by Dr V K Mahajan visited the affected
villages and distributed chlorine tablets among the
villagers. He said all precautionary steps had been
taken. |
Arrest criminals, demand
villagers KANGRA, July 15 — Hundreds of villagers of Baterad village today held a demonstration in protest against the police failure to arrest criminals involved in the murder of Hoshiyar Singh of the village. The protestors led by the gram panchayat pardhan, of Mr Buta Ram, demanded the arrest of the culprits. Hoshiyar Singh who was
missing and later found dead in fields on June 12. His
family alleged that the police was taking no action
against the suspects. They threatened to launch an
agitation if the police failed to arrest the culprits. |
HRTC workers block traffic KANGRA, July 15 — The HRTC workers today blocked Pathankot-Mandi highway for an hour in protest against the alleged manhandling of the conductor of an HRTC bus. Mr, Preetam Chand Katoch in charge of Palampur adda, said that some persons today manhandled a conductor, of HRTC bus, Mr Sanjeev Kumar, and tore off his uniform. He alleged that they tried to attack him with a sword too. A case has been registered but no arrests had been made so far. The blockade was lifted
after the local administration assured the agitators that
action against the culprits would be taken by tomorrow. |
Enteritis claims 2 lives PALAMPUR, July 15 (PTI) — Gastroenteritis has claimed two lives in Kangra district and many areas are in its grip. According to reports, Ratni Devi of Darini village died today while 55-year-old Konsal Singh died at Thural last week. More than one dozen patients belonging to Dharamsala and adjoining areas have been admitted to a hospital here. The number of such patients in other health institutions is reported to be alarmingly large. Failure of the
Irrigation Department in supplying clean drinking water
is believed to the reason for this epidemic. |
Treasuries stop payments SHIMLA, July 15 — Encashment of various bills has been stopped by treasuries here as the government has run into overdraft. Sources said that the situation was expected to normalise by Monday. A top functionary said that an overdraft of about Rs 20 crore in the ways and means account was outstanding against Himachal Pradesh. The overdraft would be cleared in a day or two. The treasuries had been
asked to hold bills amounting over Rs 1 lakh for a few
days until the financial position improved. There was
nothing abnormal in the overdraft which is a normal
practice, he added. |
 |
||
 |
| Nation
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
