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Monday,
December 31, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Incentives
for HP entrepreneurs Temples
hum with activity as jawans leave for border Dissidents
expelled from party |
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Vegetable
production up in Himachal Beef up
security on Chamba border: HPCC PO flees
from police custody Kangra boy
wins GK quiz Set up
fast-track courts, says Nadda 
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Incentives
for HP entrepreneurs Chamba, December 30 Its main objective was to create employment opportunities for the people and ensure economic growth in the state on sustainable basis. The minister said the industrial units which would generate income for the state exchequer, which were environment-friendly and using the local raw material, were being given preference. Emphasis is being laid on setting up of the industrial units in such areas which are industrially backward, he added. For this, Industrial Policy Guidelines and Incentives Rules, 1999, have been framed which provide attractive incentives to the entrepreneurs for setting up units in the state. Mr Kishori Lal said the endeavours of the state government in this regard had yielded good results. As many as 2732 new industrial units, including 24 large and medium and 2718 small-scale units, had come up in the state during the past three years at an investment of Rs 423 crore and giving employment to about 18,000 persons. He said 32 more industrial units in the large and medium sector, at an investment of about Rs 300 crore and employment opportunities to about 3,000 persons, were in the pipeline. The minister said the incentives being given to the entrepreneurs included sales tax exemption or concession and tax holiday, 1 per cent exemption in central sales tax up to 2009, 1 per cent exemption in general sales tax on raw material up to 2009, exemption from payment of electricity duty to units falling in priority sector, interest subsidy to tiny and small-scale units in priority sector, providing land and shed on subsidised rates in industrially backward areas, special package of incentives for fruit, vegetable and maize based units and no tax in tax-free zone for a period of 10 years, etc. Entertainment related ventures are being given exemption in entertainment tax up to 2010, he added. He said the Central Government had extended transport subsidy scheme up to 2007 in the state on the request of the state government for the transportation of raw material from the nearest railhead to factory site and transportation of finished goods up to the nearest railhead. The state government had also requested the Centre to extend the income tax holiday up to 2007 for new industrial units keeping in view the topography of the state. To give further boost to the industrial development in the state, an Export Promotion Industrial Park is being set up at Baddi at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore, he stated. The first phase of the park is complete and plots are available for allotment to prospective entrepreneurs, he added. In order to provide infrastructure facilities to entrepreneurs, industrial areas established at Baddi, Barotiwala, Chambaghat, Parwanoo, Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib, Mehatpur and certain other places in the state are being strengthened by creating basic infrastructure facilities, the minister said. |
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Temples
hum with activity as jawans leave for border Hamirpur, December 30 Before sending their warriors to the border it is a tradition in Hamirpur district to go to temples of “kul devtas” or “kul devis” to seek their blessings. Soldiers from Hamirpur district have played a major role in all wars that India has fought. They have won 62 gallantry awards, including two Ashok Chakras, 10 Vir Chakras, four Shaurya Chakras, 36 Sena Medals, seven Nau Sena Medals, one Yudh Seva Medal and one Kirti Chakra. The number of serving soldiers from the district is 21, 500 and that of ex servicemen, war widows and other widows of soldiers is 19,445. Nine jawans of the district laid down their lives while fighting the Pakistanis during the Kargil war. Boarding a bus for border Havaldar Ram Singh of 9 Dogra told this reporter yesterday that his intention was to kill at least 100 Pakistanis. He said, Pakistan had learnt no lesson from the Kargil war. Sudhir Sharma, another young man, who alighted from a bus from the interior village of the district and was about the board a Pathankot-bound bus to go to the J&K front said he was full of vigour ready to teach a lesson to Pakistan. Suresh Sharma, an ex-serviceman and father of the young recruit was also in high spirits. He said time had come when Pakistan should be taught a lesson. Mansa Devi of the Bhoranj area, who had come to see her son Rajesh Kumar off was in tears but in high spirits. She said, she was proud that she had only one child and that too was in the Army. Before boarding the bus, Rajesh Kumar, said he would fight the Pakistanis till his death. he said:” I am not afraid of death and if I lose my life while saving my motherland, I will be the luckiest person on the earth.” Meanwhile, ex-servicemen of the district are also gearing up to extend their support to their serving comrades. |
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Dissidents
expelled from party Hamirpur, December 30 While the Hamirpur district BJP today came out openly in defence of its district president and the MLA, Mr Baldev Sharma and expelled Mr Dhian Chand and Mr Joginder Singh Patyal from the party for six years for alleged anti-party activities. Incidentally, Mr Patyal is the brother-in-law of HP Mr Suresh Chandel. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the party with Mr. Vinod Gupta, its Senior Vice President in chair. The party leaders felt that by going to the Press repeatedly both these persons had broken the party discipline and for that they had been expelled. However, on other hand, the dissidents in the party decided to go ahead with their campaign to dislodge Mr Baldev Sharma from the presidentship of the district unit of the party. Mr Patyal told this reporter on the phone that their struggle would continue till justice was given to them. He said the district unit had no authority to expel them from the party, as they were the founder of the party, whereas Mr. Sharma had joined the organisation only on the eve of the elections. He was nowhere seen in the district prior to the last Vidhansabha and Lokabha poll. He said members of the “Baldev Sharma hatao and Nadaunta Bachao committee would meet the Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Member parliament, Suresh Chandel and the Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar to explain their stand. Talking to reporters at Circuit House here today, Mr. Baldev Sharma said he had nothing to say on the ongoing controversy. He said elections were not fought and won only by going to the press. He said he had already sent his comments to the party high command. He also gave complete details about the developmental activities place in the Nadaunta Assembly segment during the BJP regime. He said whatever the state was today that was due to the leadership of Prof.
P. K. Dhumal, the HP Chief Minister. |
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Vegetable
production
up in Himachal Shimla, December 30 To popularise hybrid seeds of vegetables and educating farmers to shift over to vegetable cultivation in a big way, intensive efforts are afoot. Twentyfive vegetable projects were started in 10 district in 1999-2000 initially and encouraged with their results, the number of these projects increased to 50 last year. This year 100 more such projects have been launched in different parts of the state. Under these projects, the farmers are being given an assistance of Rs 2000 per hectare for the purchase of quality seeds, fertilisers and plant protection materials. Demonstrations are being held to educate and inspire farmers to switch over to vegetable cultivation in each block where these projects are being implemented. To expose farmers with latest techniques in vegetable growing visits of farmers are also being organised to the vegetable growing areas so that they also opt for it. Himachal Pradesh has already earned a name in off-season vegetable cultivation and producing temperate vegetable seeds. At present, about 4 lakh tonne off-season vegetables valuing about 250 crore are being exported. Major vegetables include tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, beans and capsicum. The conducive agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the state provide great scope for producing temperate vegetable seeds. At present, 17 seed companies are engaged in vegetable seed production in the state and about 3000 quintals of vegetable seeds are being produced annually. To intensify vegetable production in the state, special emphasis is being laid on popularising the superior vegetable hybrids, commercialise exotic vegetable and to develop marketing structure in major off-season vegetable growing areas and to promote processing under cooperative sector. With a view to providing proper marketing facilities to the farmers, the state government has set up six markets at Arki, Namhol, Sarahan, Koti, Takoli and Dharampur by spending Rs 6.68 crore and work on seven more such markets at Nadaun, Bilaspur, Dhanotu, Rampur, Solan, Rajgarh and Banalgi is in progress. The government has also launched an unique project “Women in Agriculture” in 68 blocks of non-tribal districts this year. Under this programme in each block five groups of 20 women will be formed who will be imparted intensive training in latest agriculture technology, including post-harvest and agro-processing. A five-year World Bank National Agricultural Technology Project has already been launched in Shimla, Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts to educate and transfer technology to the farmers. Solan, Shimla, Mandi, Lahaul-Spiti and Kulu are the leading districts in vegetables production. |
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Beef up security on Chamba border: HPCC Chamba, December 30 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Harsh Mahajan, general secretary of the HPCC, asked the government to deploy more paramilitary forces on the borders of the district. He said reducing the paramilitary forces would cost dear. He said the government could also make alternate arrangement. Referring to the Kalaban-Satrundi carnages that occurred in August 1998, Mr Mahajan lambasted the government for its negligence in tracing out six Himachalis. He advised the government to gear up intelligence agencies to find out the missing persons. Mr Mahajan expressed fear that a skeleton paramilitary force along the dense timberline on the borders of Doda district might not be able to check infiltration. He said the HPCC had all moral support to combat terrorism. |
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PO flees
from police custody Nahan, December 30 According to police sources Kalyan Singh is one of the most wanted accused in several cases of theft and robbery in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. He was in judicial custody. Kalyan Singh was nabbed by the Sirmour police on July 3 this year. During interrogation he admitted his involvement in several cases of theft and robbery in Haryana, Rajasthan and Goa. The police recovered an Indica car which was stolen from Jaipur. The Jaipur police had also approached a local court to take him to Jaipur in connection with theft cases. A hunt has been launched a fresh to arrest Kalyan Singh with the help of the police of neighbouring states, the sources added. |
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Kangra boy wins GK
quiz Shimla, December 30 In all 9,105 students participated in the competition. Abhishek Gupta of Government Senior Secondary School, Sanjauli (Shimla), stood second and Brij Lal of Government Senior Secondary School, Thunag (Mandi), third. The winner will get a cash prize of Rs 2100 and those having secured second and third positions will get Rs 1100 and Rs 750, respectively. Besides, 11 other students will be given a consolation prize of Rs 100. Those securing first three positions in each district will get Rs 500, Rs 300 and Rs 150, respectively. |
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Set up fast-track courts, says Nadda Bilaspur, December 30 Addressing mediapersons yesterday, he expressed his surprise that Sub-Divisional Courts we are burdened with 4000-5000 pending cases. Similarly, a demand for Sessions Courts in Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts not met. Even the Himachal High Court had also recommended it to the state government but no action was taken, he added. |
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Hepatitis-B camp from Jan 4 Shimla, December 30 The registration of deserving beneficiaries will be done from December 31 to January 3. The society will also organise a de-addiction camp from January 16 to 20. The patients will be treated using an ayurvedic drug. The vaccinations will be provided free of cost. |
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Resin seized Shimla, December 30 |
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