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Saturday,
December
22, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Dhumal again blames it on Cong Assembly asks Centre to frame law on pvt clinics Health Director gets police remand
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Illegal construction stopped, House told House adopts resolution on metalling of village roads Cong walkout in HP House Tunnel renovated, yet cries for repair Drive to check red light misuse Employees threaten
stir on transfers
Boy ends life for love Home Guards blast govt on private security
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Dhumal again blames it on Cong Shimla, December 21 Replying to a discussion on “Procedure and policy of raising loans by the government, boards and corporations”, raised by Mr Babu Ram Mandyal (BJP) in the Vidhan Sabha he said the state was plunged into a financial crisis after the then Congress government concealed the actual Budget deficit before the Ninth Finance Commission as a result of which the state received Rs 1200 crore less from the Centre during the 1990-95 period. The situation turned worse with the government, instead of mobilising resources, raised indiscriminate loans at an exorbitant rate of interest to bridge the revenue gap. He rejected the assertions of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Leader of the Opposition, that his government had left a balance of Rs 305 crore in the treasury and said the actual figure as reported by the Comptroller and Auditor-General was a deficit of Rs 701 crore as on March 31,1998. He said loans were raised in violation of the Constitution without obtaining the mandatory approval of the Centre at an interest rate of 22 per cent at a time when cheaper loans at a rate of interest around 13 per cent were available. A whoping Rs 90 lakh was paid as arrangers fee for raising Rs 90 crore for a period of three months. He said the present government had also raised loan, but had maintained complete transparency and the arrangers fee ranged from .15 (.15) to .21 (.21) per cent of the amount. One of the companies, which benefited from the commission on loans raised by the previous government was also allowed to raise an engineering college in an industrial shed, which was functioning without the requisite facilities. At this juncture Mr Virbhadra Singh clarified that his government had granted permission as a matter of routine and if the institution was not functioning as per the norms, action should be taken against it. Referring to the alarming financial situation, he said the annual interest liability had gone up from Rs 464 in 1997-98 to Rs 1400 crore this year, the salary bill from Rs 961 crore to Rs 2000 crore and expenditure on pensions from Rs 161 crore to Rs 434 crore. Besides, the size of the annual plan had increased from Rs 1008 crore to Rs 1720 crore over the period. All this required resources, which could be raised only by way of loans. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the financial position of the government had been discussed umpteen times in the House and the government had even come out with a White Paper, which did not point out any irregularities. He said the rate of interest depended on the prevailing situation in the financial market, which was quite high at that time. He said his government did not keep the House in the dark about the loans. What was most shocking was the fact that the BJP which had been opposed to the very concept of market borrowings had after coming to power borrowed about Rs 5000 crore as against Rs 900 crore raised by his government during 1994-98 period. Earlier initiating the debate, Mr Mandyal said the Congress government did not
fulfil formalities while raising loans, violated the Constitution and undermined the autonomy of cooperative institutions, which were asked to secure loans through a specific company at very high rates of interests. Citing figures, he said the then government paid Rs 13.69 crore, for raising Rs 913.08 crore, whereas the present government had raised Rs 3318 crore and paid only Rs 3.48 crore as service charges. |
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Assembly asks Centre to frame law on pvt clinics Shimla, December 21 Moving the resolution, the Health Minister, Mr J.P.Nadda, said it had now become necessary to prescribe the minimum standards for such establishments in view of large-scale proliferation of private clinics and nursing homes all over the country and complaints received from time to time about the quality of services provided by them. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said the tendency to surrender the powers of the state to the Centre for framing laws should be resisted and the state government should formulate its own legislation for regulating the functioning of private health centres. While on the one hand the states were seeking more powers, the resolution aimed to surrender the state’s powers to the Centre. Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) said the resolution was contrary to the spirit of the recommendations of the Sarkaria commission which suggested decentralisation of power. He said while in the Opposition, the BJP had been pleading for implementation of the report of the Sarkaria Commission. But once in power, the same party was surrendering its powers to the Centre. He said the government should formulate its own policy which would suit the topography of the hill-state. Mr Ram Lal Thakur, former Health Minister, said that before delegating the power to the Centre, the state government should learn a lesson from the functioning of the Medical and the Dental Councils of India, which had always tried to suppress small states like Himachal Pradesh. Mr Chander Kumar, Mr R.R.Rao, Mr B.B.Butail and Mrs Viplove Thakur (Cong) suggested that the state government should ensure certain safeguards before allowing the Centre to formulate the law. Mr Babu Ram Mandayal and Mr Chander Sein (BJP) spoke in favour of the resolution. There were wordy duels between the treasury and the Opposition benches when Mr Nadda read a statement regarding yesterday’s allegations of Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) on deployment of private security personnel in the Zonal Hospital at Mandi. Mr Kaul Singh alleged that the contract for private security in hospitals was awarded to an outsider, whereas the job should have been assigned to the Home Huards. He said the Congress was against deployment of private security in hospitals. Mr Nadda maintained that all security guards and officers deployed by the private agency were bona fide Himachalis and it was unfortunate that an attempt was being made to sensationalise the issue. The Education Minister, Mr I.D.Dhiman, tabled the memorandum of the state government rejecting the recommendations of the National Commission for Minorities for introducing Punjabi in all schools from class VI onwards and deployment of adequate number of trained Punjabi teachers in schools within a year. It also rejected the recommendation of the commission to introduce reservation for Kashmiri migrants in professional institutions and universities. The memorandum said the state government had taken a decision to introduce Punjabi as an optional subject in schools where there were at least 20 students opting for the language in classes IX and X. The memorandum said in case Punjabi was introduced as an elective subject, it would result in extra burden on children who were already studying three languages and also trigger a demand for introduction of Urdu and Bhoti on the same pattern. Mr Rattan Singh (Cong) raised the issue of his “fake” resignation letter having been faxed to the Speaker and demanded early action on the matter. The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, said he would make a statement on the issue in the House on Monday. The Speaker said he had already ordered the DGP to enquire into the matter. |
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Health Director gets police remand Shimla, December 21 They were produced before the Additional Sessions Judge, Solan, after having been arrested here yesterday on the charges of irregularities worth about Rs.4.17 lakh in the purchase of medicines for an ESI hospital in Solan district. The court remanded them in police custody till December 24. Dr Rana was Chief Medical Officer of Solan and Dr Sohal was Assistant Director and was looking after ESI hospitals when these purchases were made between 1996 and 1998. The Secretary of Health, Mr Vineet Chaudhary, has been ordered by the state government to hold the charge of Director Health Services, till further orders. Meanwhile, the vice-president of the Himachal Medical Officers Association, Dr Sanjay Pathak, has stated that bureaucrats were “out to grab” the post of Director Health Services, although several honest doctors were there in the cadre. Dr Pathak said the government should take into consideration the past record while appointing a new Director. Dr Rana was appointed on the post only about six months ago when the cases pertaining to these purchases were pending against him. |
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Illegal construction stopped, House told Shimla, December 21 This was stated by the Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, while replying to a question of Mr Virbhadra Singh, leader of the Opposition, in the Vidhan Sabha, today. Mr Virbhadra Singh raised serious objection to the violation of building rules and in the core sector of the town where all construction activity was banned. He said illegal constructions were being allowed on a large scale in Shimla. He pointed out that against the permission for constructing four storeys, the owner, Mr Harsaranjit Kochhar, had raised six storeys on the Mall. Mr Virbhadra Singh wondered as to how the 30 vehicles for which parking was allowed to the owner of the building would reach there without crossing The Mall where driving was banned. The minister denied that the building owner had encroached on The Mall and permission for construction was accorded under the municipal corporation bylaws. On a question regarding MoUs for construction of hydroelectric projects in the state, Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) said the interests of Himachalis were not being protected and employment was being given to outsiders. The chief minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, said 63 MoUs were signed during the Congress regime and only four hour of these projects were assigned to Himachalis. On the other hand, 43 MoUs were signed by the present government and work on 22 projects was given to Himachalis. He said work on the Larji project was being speeded by the government and adequate funds were being provided for the purpose. |
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House adopts resolution on metalling of village roads Shimla, December 21 The resolution was moved by Mr Jai Ram Thakur of the BJP. Replying to a debate on the resolution, the Rural Development Minister, Mr Parkash Chaudhary, said though funds were being made available to the panchayats under a number of schemes for the construction of roads, there was need for a policy to ensure planned development of roads. It had been observed that in certain panchayats the funds had not been utilised properly and targets had not been achieved. He agreed with the views of members that the metalling of roads would improve the quality of life in villages and people would be saved the inconvenience caused during rains. He said the government had given top priority to the construction of roads and the new Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna had been launched with objective of improving the rural connectivity. Earlier moving the resolution Mr Thakur underlined the need for a policy to ensure speedy metalling of kutcha roads and ensuring proper utilisation of funds. Ms Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, withdrew her resolution urging the state to take up with the Centre the matter for the inclusion of Bhoti language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution after Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister, stated that the language did not fulfill the criterion. He said Bhoti was spoken by only 55,483 persons in the country, out of which 11,243 were in Himachal Pradesh. In contrast, various local “Pahari” dialects were spoken by lakhs of people. Similarly, most of the literature in Bhoti was infact translated from Sanskrit, though it was true that a large number of religious scriptures were available in the language. Lastly, it was also not the official language of any state. As such it did not meet the conditions for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule. He said Himachal Pradesh University was running a certificate course and a diploma course but not many students were opting for the subject. Moving the relation, Ms Stokes said Bhoti was the language of Himalayan people and its promotion and recognition was essential to preserve their distinct cultural identity. The House rejected the resolution of Mr Kaul Singh (Congress) calling upon the government to ensur that only Himachali workers were given jobs in various departments, boards and corporation. Replying to the debate, Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, said the government had the interest of the unemployed Himachali youth in mind and assured that it would do whatever was possible within the constitutional limits to ensure jobs for them. He challenged Mr. Kaul Singh to prove that all 44 persons deployed by the private security company in Mandi Hospital were outsiders or quit the house. Mr Kaul Singh, however, maintained that his main objection was to the policy of handing over the hospital security to a private company instead of utilising the services the Home Guards and ex-servicemen. |
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Cong walkout in HP House Shimla, December 21 Mr Dhiman made these remarks while replying to the discussion on the functioning of the university, raised by Mr Kaul Singh (Congress). He said there was political interference in the institution during the Congress regime. While in power, the party thwarted discussion on the functioning of the university. This enraged the Opposition which staged a walkout in protest. Earlier, initiating the discussion Mr Kaul Singh said the indifferent manner in which the university had been functioning was evident from the fact that its administrative and audit reports had not been placed before the House for the past four years. The ruling party had been pursuing its saffron agenda with a vengeance and appointments were being given to candidates of a particular ideology ignoring merit. He said less qualified candidates were given appointments when Ph.Ds were available. Intervening in the debate the Chief Minister Mr P.K. Dhumal, said the government had taken several steps to improve the functioning of the university and it had been maintaining complete transparency. He said the aim was to develop it into a centre of excellence. |
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Tunnel renovated, yet cries for repair Shimla, December 21 Litter is seen scattered in the tunnel emitting a foul smell. The two drains are choked with mud. Seepage has started at many places although the authorities had spent Rs 70 lakh on its repairs. There are 44 bulbs installed in the tunnel and presently only nine are working, plunging the place in darkness. Women are scared of crossing the tunnel even during the day as they feel unsafe to walk alone. It was after three decades that the tunnel was renovated. The iron angles on the sides of tunnel hinder the movement of labourers and coolies. The issue of the tunnel was raised time and again in the general house of the municipal corporation and it had been pointed out that the renovation was not up to the mark. The tunnel was built in 1905 by the British. In 1991 a survey of the tunnel was conducted and in 1997 Rs 35 lakh was sanctioned by the Congress government for its renovation. The inauguration of the renovated tunnel was done by the Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, on October 17. |
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Drive to check red light misuse Kasauli, December 21 Mr Z.H. Zaidi, Superintendent of Police, Solan, stated that the police had stepped up its drive to verify the antecedents of all migrant labourers, including Kashmiris, working in the region. These migrants are required to get themselves registered at the respective police stations in the district along with their photographs and permanent addresses. The contractors employing them have been strictly directed to maintain their proper records. There is an increased influx of labourers in areas like Parwanoo, Baddi and Nalagarh industrial belt in the winters when Kashmiris move down to warmer places, he said, and added that virgil had to be stopped up. |
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Employees threaten
stir on transfers Chamba, December 21 In a press note issued here today, Mr Kamal Raina, district president of the union, described the transfers as a ‘conspiracy’ of the high-ups of the corporation management. Mr Raina said these union leaders had been transferred to Kinnaur district of the state which was often closed for winter months from December to April owing to extreme weather conditions. Expressing his resentment over non-acceptance of the demands of the union, Mr Raina urged the management to accept their demands to avoid confrontation between the union and the management. |
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Boy ends life for love Mandi, December 21 According to the police, Bhikham Ram had perhaps made up his mind to commit suicide after realising that it was virtually impossible to marry his beloved. About 50 love letters written by the girl and some photographs were recovered from the rented room of the deceased who lived there with another friend Lal Man. Both worked in the Kusam Theatre here. On the fateful night both friends hired room No 306 of the Hotel River Bank and consumed liquor. Bhikham Ram told his friend intention of ending his life “I went to sleep. Around 4 a.m. my friend woke me up and asked for water after disclosing that he had taken poison. With the help of waiters, I rushed him to a hospital where he died”, Lal Man told the police. |
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Home Guards blast govt on private security Hamirpur, December 21 In a statement today, he told the Chief Minister that he should also give the security ring of his entire Cabinet on contract rather than depute persons from the Himachal Pradesh police if he was so keen on contract system. He said if the government did not implement the agreed demands of the Home Guards, they would be compelled to field their candidates against the ruling party in the coming Vidhan Sabha elections. He said a number of Home Guards had already applied to the organisation for contesting elections from various parts of Hamirpur district. |
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Airport safety Shimla, December 21 Mr Alam said aviation security had become more important following terrorist attacks on a Airport in Sri Lanka and on WTC, New York. To bring uniformity in aviation security, CISF personnel would be deployed at all airports of the country in a phased manner. |
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