Shimla, March 13 (IANS): The whispers in the corridors of power about the "politics of transfers" reverberated loud and clear in the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Friday.
Source: IANS
Source: IANS
Showing posts with label Dhumal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dhumal. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Is Dhumal junior eyeing politics?
His supporters and critics believe Dhumal, 37, who has so far shied away from politics, may now move out of the pavilion and enter the field.
He does not currently hold any position in the BJP, though his elder brother, Anurag Thakur,is HPCA president and MP from Hamirpur.
Less than a week after the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau booked Dhumal's both sons for allegedly grabbing land near Dharamsala by forging revenue records, Arun Dhumal hasheld three press briefings, one daily, in Shimla from Monday.
This was the first media briefing of his career.
Armed with affidavits and revenue documents to substantiate his claim that the land deal was genuine, the business management and engineering graduate slammed Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on the first day for using the vigilance bureau as a tool to settle political scores.
"I will prove that the case registered against me and my brother is simply an act of vendetta," he said.
Clarifying that no illegality was committed in purchasing 32 marlas of land in 2008 from one Premu on the outskirts of Dharamsala, where the HPCA's picturesque stadium is located, he said the deal materialised with the consent of the seller and his family.
At the second conference, Dhumal displayed a set of documents relating to the revised income tax returns of Virbhadra Singh for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, his investments in the single premium life insurance policies of his family and his bank accounts.
The former chief minister's son also questioned the exponential increase in Virbhadra Singh's income, mainly from apple orchards, between 2008 and 2011 during which he was union steel minister.
At his third press conference, he questioned the rationale behind the chief minister and his parliamentarian wife Pratibha Singh raising an unsecured loan of Rs.3.90 crore from one Vakamulla Chander Sekhar of New Delhi.
"There is no corresponding detail of the borrowed money being deposited in any of the bank accounts of both the husband and wife," he said.
His assertion of raising the loan was based on an affidavit on properties and assets filed by Pratibha Singh along with her nomination papers for the June 2013 Mandi parliamentary by-election.
Countering this, two of Virbhadra Singh's cabinet colleagues, Sujan Singh Pathania and Thakur Singh Bharmouri, said in a statement that the Dhumal family's lust for land had crossed all levels of meanness.
They did not even spare a poor person, Premu, who was given 'nautor' land by the government and purchased his land in violation of law and rendered him landless.
Two other cabinet ministers, Sudhir Sharma and Prakash Chaudhary, alleged that a malicious campaign had been launched by the Dhumal family, which was making wild allegations out of sheer frustration as its misdeeds are now coming out in public.
Regarding the loans taken by Virbhadra Singh, the ministers said in a separate statement that it was taken through a cheque at 12 percent interest by adopting the proper procedure and this was duly documented.
Arun Dhumal was illegally distributing copies of the chief minister's income tax returns to the media, which was an offence in itself, they said.
They asked the Dhumal family to tell the people how it had grabbed a public school and acquired a petrol pump and a jewellery shop in Punjab's Jalandhar town. They also questioned Prem Kumar Dhumal's having more than one PAN card.
"It appears that the junior Dhumal is trying to make a case for himself for the (2014 parliamentary) elections," ministers Pathania and Bharmouri said.
Via: http://in.news.yahoo.com/dhumal-junior-eyeing-politics-062803651.html
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Dhumal-Virbhadra tussle rakes up personal finance deals
Addressing mediapersons in Shimla on Wednesday, Arun Dhumal, who has opened a front against chief minister Virbhadra Singh, said that both Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh are in public life, but they are taking loan from private individuals despite having around Rs 10 crore in their bank accounts.
Why they have taken loan from private individuals and at what capacity? They should explain," Arun Dhumal.
Arun Dumal further claimed that Virbhadra Singh should explain their relations with Vakamulla Chandershekhar and at what terms and conditions they have taken the loan and for what purpose. "They should also tell whether in lieu of loan, any favour was granted to Vakamulla and when the loan would be repaid," he added.
Reacting to the allegations, minister for housing and urban development Sudhir Sharma and excise and taxation minister Prakash Chaudhary said that Dhumal family was trying to divert public attention from their wrong doings by unnecessarily raising non-issues. They had stooped to the lowest level of meanness by indulging in mud-slinging, the ministers added.
Regarding the loan, the ministers said that it was a right of an individual to take loan and asked what was wrong in it. "Virbhadra Singh had taken a loan at 12% interest through cheque after adopting the proper procedure and it was duly documented. Arun Dhumal was distributing the illegally obtained copies of income tax returns of Virbhadra Singh to the media, which was an offence in itself. Still, he should have had the common sense to see that the loan is well reflected in various returns and Singh was paying interest on it," they added.
Sharma and Chaudhary said that instead of pointing fingers at others, Dhumal family should tell people as to how they had grabbed a public school, and acquired a petrol pump and diamond jewelry shop at Jalandhar.
Arun Dhumal, who was a manager of Delhi Public School, Jalandhar cheated the other two partners, Rajeev Bhatnagar and Vipin Mahajan, by bringing in another partner Sanjeev Vohra and Associates as chartered accountants and grabbed the entire property and school. The matter is in the court where Arun Dhumal is accused of cheating," alleged the ministers.
They said that Dhumal family should also disclose as to how Anurag Thakur obtained bonafide certificates of both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh -- that of Punjab to get a petrol pump and of Himachal Pradesh to take control of HPCA. People also want to know as to how Prem Kumar Dhumal was having more than one PAN card, they added.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Dhumal's son questions Virbhadra's income
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's son Tuesday questioned the increase in Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's income from apple orchards between 2008 to 2011 when he was union steel minister.
The revised income-tax returns filed by Virbhadra Singh for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 show a huge increase in his agricultural income from a few lakhs to crores, Dhumal's youngest son Arun Singh, facing a criminal case in a land purchase case by violating statutory provisions of land laws, said.
"Virbhadra Singh filed revised income-tax returns for three years on March 2, 2012, in which the agricultural income of a few lakhs of rupees as already disclosed has increased abnormally," Arun told reporters in Shimla.
He questioned how Singh's income had risen so dramatically in these years. "Interestingly, the aggregate income again declined massively in the subsequent year (2011-12) to Rs.25 lakh."
"Under which income-tax rules has he filed the returns. All returns filed later on are not allowed by tax law," he said.
Arun said in his original income-tax returns filed in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, Virbhadra showed his aggregate income as Rs.23,73,938, Rs.59,67,584 and Rs.40,13,712. But in the revised returns filed on March 2, 2012, his income rose to Rs.2.37 crore, Rs.3.25 crore and Rs.1.70 crore, respectively.
However, in 2006-07 his aggregate income was Rs.22,56,809.
"It seems large amounts of cash income was unauthorisedly generated by Virbhadra Singh," he said.
Earlier, another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley had alleged that Virbhadra had modified his income-tax returns during 2008-11 through "forgery" and increased his income by Rs.6.15 crore.
"It is not merely a case of corruption or income-tax evasion. It's a case of forgery and crime," Jaitley told reporters in Shimla in October last year just ahead of the assembly elections.
At that time, the BJP had also attacked the Congress leader on the alleged Ispat Industries payoffs, wherein a diary entry of Rs.2.28 crore was marked against the initials "VBS" during the period when he was the steel minister.
"It clearly appears that large amounts of cash income have been unauthorisedly generated for the benefit of Virbhadra Singh and his family members. The attempt was to deposit this cash in a bank account held by Anand Chauhan (an LIC agent) from where it is paid towards the LIC premiums (of Singh and his family)," Jaitley had said.
The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau Oct 3 registered a first information report (FIR) in a land deal against Dhumal's sons, MP Anurag Thakur and his brother Arun Singh.
Police officials said the FIR was registered in the 2008 land deal by the duo when Dhumal was the chief minister.
Official sources said 32 'marla' land in Dharamsala, some 250 km from the state capital, was allotted to a landless person, Premu, on compassionate grounds in 1992.
"The land couldn't be transferred further for 20 years. But it was sold and even transferred in the name of Anurag in 2008 even before the lock-in period expired," said an official.
The revised income-tax returns filed by Virbhadra Singh for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 show a huge increase in his agricultural income from a few lakhs to crores, Dhumal's youngest son Arun Singh, facing a criminal case in a land purchase case by violating statutory provisions of land laws, said.
"Virbhadra Singh filed revised income-tax returns for three years on March 2, 2012, in which the agricultural income of a few lakhs of rupees as already disclosed has increased abnormally," Arun told reporters in Shimla.
He questioned how Singh's income had risen so dramatically in these years. "Interestingly, the aggregate income again declined massively in the subsequent year (2011-12) to Rs.25 lakh."
"Under which income-tax rules has he filed the returns. All returns filed later on are not allowed by tax law," he said.
Arun said in his original income-tax returns filed in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, Virbhadra showed his aggregate income as Rs.23,73,938, Rs.59,67,584 and Rs.40,13,712. But in the revised returns filed on March 2, 2012, his income rose to Rs.2.37 crore, Rs.3.25 crore and Rs.1.70 crore, respectively.
However, in 2006-07 his aggregate income was Rs.22,56,809.
"It seems large amounts of cash income was unauthorisedly generated by Virbhadra Singh," he said.
Earlier, another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley had alleged that Virbhadra had modified his income-tax returns during 2008-11 through "forgery" and increased his income by Rs.6.15 crore.
"It is not merely a case of corruption or income-tax evasion. It's a case of forgery and crime," Jaitley told reporters in Shimla in October last year just ahead of the assembly elections.
At that time, the BJP had also attacked the Congress leader on the alleged Ispat Industries payoffs, wherein a diary entry of Rs.2.28 crore was marked against the initials "VBS" during the period when he was the steel minister.
"It clearly appears that large amounts of cash income have been unauthorisedly generated for the benefit of Virbhadra Singh and his family members. The attempt was to deposit this cash in a bank account held by Anand Chauhan (an LIC agent) from where it is paid towards the LIC premiums (of Singh and his family)," Jaitley had said.
The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau Oct 3 registered a first information report (FIR) in a land deal against Dhumal's sons, MP Anurag Thakur and his brother Arun Singh.
Police officials said the FIR was registered in the 2008 land deal by the duo when Dhumal was the chief minister.
Official sources said 32 'marla' land in Dharamsala, some 250 km from the state capital, was allotted to a landless person, Premu, on compassionate grounds in 1992.
"The land couldn't be transferred further for 20 years. But it was sold and even transferred in the name of Anurag in 2008 even before the lock-in period expired," said an official.
Monday, October 7, 2013
HP Govt indulging in political vendetta: Dhumal's son
Via: http://www.ptinews.com/news/4045788_HP-Govt-indulging-in-political-vendetta--Dhumal-s-son.html
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Dhumal withdraws 10-year-old defamation case against Amarinder Singh
Taking on record Singh's statement, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla Jyotsna Dadwal dropped the criminal defamation proceedings against him.
In his statement, Singh said, "Dhumal and I have shared a cordial relationship. In the course of my speech in Hamirpur Jan 18, 2003, I did not attack Dhumal personally, though I criticised his government... Unfortunately, the speech was incorrectly reported in some newspapers."
"I regret the hurt caused to Dhumal by incorrect reporting in the press," Amarinder Singh said.
At this point, Dhumal told the court that he did not want to pursue the case. However, another defamation case filed by Dhumal against Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Motilal Vora would continue. Earlier, Dhumal had moved the court, saying charges levelled against him by Amarinder Singh and Vora were false and politically motivated and it was to tarnish his image.
In the second defamation case filed in 2003, Dhumal also sued Anand Sharma, presently, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry for releasing a list of assets allegedly owned by Dhumal at a press conference in the state. That case is pending in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dadwal and listed for hearing on September 28.
Dhumal's counsel Satyapal Jain told the court that "if both the accused (Vora and Sharma) are ready to offer regret, then we may consider not to pursue the case otherwise it will be argued".
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Trouble for Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association
There was more trouble for the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, as the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau found the sports body's initially registered address in Kanpur as "bogus". During a recent investigation, state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau found that the Kanpur address was bogus. A team led by assistant superintendent of police Jograj Jariyal visited the Kanpur address. "A vigilance team had visited Kanpur and found that the office associated with the HPCA is fictitious and non-existent," an investigator told IANS, on the condition of anonymity, here Tuesday.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Himachal's free ambulances saved 6,708 lives in two years
Himachal Pradesh's free ambulance service, which can be availed by dialling phone number 108, has saved 6,708 lives in 325,178 emergencies handled since its launch in December 2010, a statement said here Sunday. The ambulances helped in 55,790 pregnancy-related cases and 16,230 trauma cases, according to data released by the government.Of the total emergency calls attended, 88 percent were in rural areas, it said.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The vanishing gods of Himachal
The deities are no more gracing the "land of the gods", as Himachal Pradesh is known. They have been silently whisked away by antique smugglers.
The theft earlier this week of six ancient idols and antiques worth over Rs.1.50 crore from a three-century old Bondra 'devta' temple at Bachunch village near Rohru town, some 120 km from Shimla, has once again put the spotlight on the treasures lying vulnerable in hundreds of temples and monasteries.
Police say it's one of the biggest heists in a religious place in the recent past. In the past 15 years, at least 100 thefts from temples have been reported, over 20 of them notable ones. The police suspect the involvement of Nepali migrants in connivance with foreign antique smugglers.
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| Bondra 'devta' temple at Bachunch village near Rohru |
"It's a serious issue. We will certainly soon implement some foolproof security arrangement in all the prominent temples and monasteries," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order)Sanjay Kumar told IANS. He said directions would be issued to the temple and monastery committees to put up iron grills where the idols and ornaments are kept. "We will even convince them to install CCTV cameras and burglar alarms in the temple premises," he added. Despite a large number of thefts, the state has no policy on preserving antiques, an official said. "No proper stocktaking or verification of antiques lying in various religious places has taken place for quite some time. No one knows as to what all is there in our inventory," said an official of the state's language, art and culture department, which looks after important temples of the state.
Antique idols and valuables worth Rs.33.83 lakh were stolen from temples between 2008 and 2011, of which stolen property worth Rs.5.49 lakh were recovered, then chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal informed the assembly in a written reply April 5, 2011. He admitted in the assembly that the government had not framed any separate policy to prevent thefts from temples. Police officers say with the linking of roads in the interiors and opening of new areas for tourists, temples located there have become more vulnerable to theft.
"The gangs of smugglers recce the monasteries and temples located in the interiors in the guise of tourists in summer. In winter, they try to get away with the antiques when the temples are closed," a senior police officer, who didn't wish to be identified, told IANS. Earlier instances of theft in temples include the stealing in September 2009 of seven antique idols, most of them made of silver, from the Keem temple near Rampur town in Shimla district, about 120 km from Shimla.
Less than a week before this, five 17th century bronze idols were stolen from a temple in Nahan town. In 2008, two ancient idols were stolen from the Shoolini temple in Solan town. In another incident the same year, ancient coins and silver artefacts went missing from the Suryavanshi temple in Kullu town. In the majority of thefts, the police have failed to trace the stolen property. But there are some fortunate 'gods' who have returned to their temples.
Take the case of two antique idols of the goddess Kunzum that were stolen in 2006 from the prominent temple in Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti district. The mastermind was arrested in Delhi in March 2008 and the stolen idols were seized. Likewise, a rare five-foot bronze statue of Lord Vishnu, dating back to the eighth century, was stolen from the Hari Rai Temple in Chamba town May 6, 1971. It was recovered from a godown in Mumbai two months later and reinstalled in the temple July 7.
The hill state has over 2,000 temples and monasteries that are centuries old. Of these, 60 are under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) while 31 are under the state language, art and culture department.
Via: IANS India Private Limited
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Prosecution of former Himachal minister granted
Shimla, July 9 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Tuesday got permission to prosecute BJP legislator and former minister Rajeev Bindal, a close confidant of previous chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, in an alleged corruption case.
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/prosecution-former-himachal-minister-granted-140251542.html
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/prosecution-former-himachal-minister-granted-140251542.html
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Prosecution of former Himachal minister granted
Himachal Pradesh's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Tuesday got permission to prosecute BJP legislator and former minister Rajeev Bindal, a close confidant of previous chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, in an alleged corruption case.
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/prosecution-of-former-himachal-minister-granted-news-national-nhjtE3ecijh.html
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/prosecution-of-former-himachal-minister-granted-news-national-nhjtE3ecijh.html
Prosecution of former Himachal minister granted
Shimla, July 9 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Tuesday got permission to prosecute BJP legislator and former minister Rajeev Bindal, a close confidant of previous chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, in an alleged corruption case.
via Yahoo News http://my.news.yahoo.com/prosecution-former-himachal-minister-granted-135959966.html
via Yahoo News http://my.news.yahoo.com/prosecution-former-himachal-minister-granted-135959966.html
Monday, June 10, 2013
Dhumal blames Himachal government for financial mess
Shimla, June 10 (IANS) Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Monday blamed the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for the deteriorating financial health of the state.
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/dhumal-blames-himachal-government-financial-mess-114220376.html
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/dhumal-blames-himachal-government-financial-mess-114220376.html
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Dhumal is 'Hitler', Virbhadra 'needs' wife at home (Himachal Newsletter)
As Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh compares his predecessor and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal with Nazi dictator Hitler, the opposition party advises the septuagenarian Congress leader that he needs his wife at home.
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/dhumal-is-hitler-virbhadra-needs-wife-at-home-himachal-newsletter-news-national-ngimOgchbbf.html
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/dhumal-is-hitler-virbhadra-needs-wife-at-home-himachal-newsletter-news-national-ngimOgchbbf.html
Saturday, May 11, 2013
CM, his predecessor spar over corruption (Himachal Newsletter)
Less than a fortnight after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh directed the investigating agencies to speed up their probe on charges of corruption against the previous BJP regime, a verbal spat is on between him and arch rival and predecessor, Prem Kumar Dhumal.
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/cm-his-predecessor-spar-over-corruption-himachal-newsletter-news-national-nflmEjdjjhj.html
via Yahoo News http://www.sify.com/news/cm-his-predecessor-spar-over-corruption-himachal-newsletter-news-national-nflmEjdjjhj.html
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Sarabjit's death a conspiracy: Dhumal
Shimla, May 2 (IANS) Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal Thursday attributed the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan to "a planned conspiracy hatched in the jail".
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/sarabjits-death-conspiracy-dhumal-131541298.html
via Yahoo News http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/sarabjits-death-conspiracy-dhumal-131541298.html
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