Cigarette vendors protest Himachal move for registration

About 200 sellers of cigarettes and bidis in Himachal Pradesh protested here on Friday against a government decision to make vendor's registration manadatory for selling tobacco products.

The decision was effectively a licensing system that would damage business, take away livelihoods and allow government officials to extort money from the sellers of tobacco products, Surinder Sharma, a member of Bidi Cigarette Vikreta Sangh, told IANS.

The state cabinet on Thursday accorded the post facto approval to complete ban on the sale of loose cigarette and beedis in the state, a government spokesperson told IANS.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh also asked the health department to draft a legislation for registration of retailers of tobacco products, he said.

After banning the sale of loose cigarettes, the government would make a licence mandatory for sellers of packed tobacco products, including cigarettes, the spokesman said.

The bill in this regard is expected to be tabled in the state legislative assembly during the budget session.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, protesting against the proposed legislation as it would badly hit our businesses," Surinder Sharma said.

Around 200 vendors of cigarettes, backed by regional cigarette distributors, under the banner of Bidi Cigarette Vikreta Sangh, staged the protest.

The state on November 4 last year decided to ban the sale of cigarettes and bidis in singles and twos.

The vendors say the licensing system for selling cigarettes will increase corruption among government functionaries.

Health Minister Kaul Singh has said the objective of the ban was to dissuade youth from using tobacco.

Participating in the 46th Union World Lung Health Conference in Cape Town in South Africa last month, he said he had urged the Indian union government to earmark budget for tobacco control for all the states.

The minister said the state government had already been using the money collected as fine by enforcing Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act of 2003.

Source:IANS

HRTC buses go off the road

Around 2,200 buses of the HRTC remained off road due to the strike, affecting people and schoolchildren.

The All-India Transport Bandh was called by various trade unions to protest against the provisions of the Bill. “Buses from other states did not enter Himachal,” said Shankar Singh, convener of the joint action committee of the HRTC workers union.

Major transport unions affiliated to the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) have supported the strike.

RN Batta, Managing Director of the HRTC, said there was no movement of the HRTC buses in and outside the state.

However, around 2,800 private buses and taxis were on road, reducing the inconvenience of people.

“The provisions of the Bill will cripple the state Road Transport Corporations as high penalty, including heavy fine and imprisonment for minor traffic violations or accidental deaths, are unjustified and unacceptable,” said a union leader.

More bodies back protest call on April 17

Apple farmers, ex-servicemen, traders, shopkeepers, transporters and public have joined hands to stage a protest march at Hatkoti and then march from Rohru Sabji Mandi to the Sub-divisional office Rohru tomake the PWD and its contractor Chadha and Chadha Construction aware of the miseries of commuters on the 90-km Theog-Kotkhai- Hatkoti-Rohru road.

“It is the cause and public should join the protest as both government and contractor are sleeping while condition of the road has gone from bad to worse over the years”, said Brig Dr Daleep S Chhajta (retd). The Himalayan Apple Growers Society (HAGS) has given a call for protest.

“Whether it is the BJP leader Narinder Bragta or Congress legislator Rohit Thakur, they play politics over the issue and blame each other, but HAGS should not make it political”, he remarked. The working committee of the society met today at Hatkoti to review the arrangements for the peaceful protest.

“The society welcomes the support pledged by various sections of society, including transport unions and Beopar mandals of Jubbal, Rohru and Saraswatinagar,” said Vineet Sarjolta, secretary, HAGS. The dharna would be peaceful at Hatkoti and then march from Rohru Sabji Mandi to the SDM office where they would submit a memorandum to the government, he added.

Source:Tribune News Service

AAP to launch satyagrah on July 31

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it would launch satyagrah on July 31 in support of the victims of the ongoing demolition drive here today. Members of the party said they would continue the strike till the victims were rehabilitated and allotted two biswas of land in the town.

Party's national executive member and coordinator of the Mandi district Des Raj Sharma said the AAP would launch ‘satyagrah’ as a sign of protest against the Congress and BJP that had failed to provide shelter to the poor people.

In a press statement here today, Sharma said the residents who had built houses in the town should be provided water and electricity. The government must bring in one-time settlement policy to regularise houses in the towns. The retention polices benefited the big builders while the common man was bearing the brunt of the Town and Country Planning Act (TCP), he claimed.

The AAP would launch satyagrah in support of the one-time retention policy so that the common man gets justice. “The TCP Act should be amended to suit the needs of hill areas and the common man,” he demanded.

He said lakhs of bighas of land was made available to private universities and several projects from outside, but the public had to face the bulldozers.

Classes resume at Sanjauli college

The situation was relatively calm on Saturday at Government College Sanjauli, where nearly 25 students owing allegiance to Student Federation of India (SFI) and National Student Union of India (NSUI) got injured on Friday when quick reaction team of police had resorted to lathicharge to disperse students who were agitating against suspension of classes. 

Supporters of SFI and NSUI had protested the move of lathicharge by police on Friday and had staged massive protests at DC office and secretariat besides blocking road in Sanjauli. Whereas on Saturday, SFI held statewide protests against police action. SFI state president Kapil Bhardwaj said, "The outfit held protests on Saturday across all colleges except for Sanjauli college in Shimla and in different districts in almost all government colleges including those in Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur and Solan. The protests were held in respective colleges to condemn the unprovoked police action on SFI activists which caused major injuries to around 10 of the protesters, including girls. Three SFI committee members were arrested on basis of false claims."

"Our major demand is that at least students should be allowed to put up outfit banners, posters and badges on the campus". Meanwhile head of Sanjauli College J S Negi said, "Classes have resumed from Saturday and the situation is under control. Security has been increased on the campus and quick reaction teams are carrying out surveillance."