Women commission gets new chairperson
Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 16
Toeing the line of the previous Congress government, the BJP government, headed by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, today set in the process of appointing politicians as chairpersons/vice-chairpersons of boards and corporations and other statutory bodies and nominated senior party leader and former chairperson of the Parwanoo Municipal Council Dr Daisy Thakur as Chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (HPSCW) with immediate effect for three years.
The government also nominated Indu Bala, Sushma Bhatt and Manjri Negi as non-official members of the commission for three years.
The government reconstituted the Board of Directors of the State Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation and the Khadi and Village Industries Board with political appointees as vice-chairpersons but shelved the move to appoint MLAs on these posts as legal experts opined that “holding office of profit” could attract disqualification.
The state Handicraft and Handloom Board would have Sanjeev Katwal, OSD to former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal during 1998-2003, as the vice-chairman while Anjay Bodh from Bhuntar, Vinod Kumar from Chamba and Baldev Singh Negi as non-official directors.
Similarly, senior BJP leader from Solan Purshottam Guleria would be the vice-chairperson of the State Khadi and Village Industries Board and Sagar Dutt Bharadwaj from Una, Pitambar Lal from Mandi and Chandveer from Kangra would be non-official members.
Appointments of more chairpersons and vice-chairpersons would be made in due courses, party sources said.