Monday, November 29, 1999

HP rallies for `justice` from Centre

News posted by www.newsinfoline.com

'Nyaya rally' : Dhumal, Shanta ask Gadkari to meet PM and demand grant of extension to industrial package for Himachal, share in BBMB projectsThe Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Nyaya rally' against Centre's "injustice" with Himachal Pradesh turned out to be a big draw on Sunday. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, backed by veteran leader Shanta Kumar, urged party chief Nitin Gadkari to take up the state's issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ensure "justice" to the "peaceful state".The rally was mainly triggered by the withdrawal of central excise duty —one of the key components of the industrial package — on March 31, 2010, three years before the proposed deadline. It also aimed to lend more voice to the state's demand for 7.19 per cent share in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects under the States' Re-organisation Act-1966.The state had earlier filed a case in the Supreme Court on this, which on April 26, 2010, directed the Centre to hold a meeting of all stakeholders within three weeks.Overwhelmed by the response to the rally, Gadkari said the BJP's national leadership was with Himachal. "BJP is not a small party. It has 165 MPs, rules in nine states and has more MLAs than those of the Congress. The party will do whatever needed to see that the Centre listens to Himachal and grants it justice. There is no reason to ignore the state's interests. The Centre's move to withdraw central excise duty is illegal and unjustified," he said.Earlier, addressing the rally at the crowded Chaura Maidan, Dhumal questioned the justification behind premature withdrawal of the industrial package. He made a fervent plea to Gadakri — who was on his first tour of the state — to lead a party's delegation to the prime minister, in support of Himachal's demand for its legitimate share in the BBMB projects.Dhumal recalled his meeting with the PM in New Delhi on Saturday and said the latter had admitted that a few benefits under the package had been withdrawn due to opposition of certain states. "He has agreed to review the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and give justice to Himachal," Dhumal said, ridiculing Union Minister Anand Sharma for claiming that the package had not been withdrawn. He, however, thanked Sharma as his ministry had earlier recommended extension of the package. "Anand Sharma may have some political compulsion to take a different stand now," the CM said.Former CM and BJP's national vice-president Shanta Kumar, who raised the BBMB share issue in the Rajya Sabha last week, said Himachal was paying a price for being a "peaceful" state and unless BJP's top leadership extended its support to the state, the Centre might not hear its voice. "I urge Gadkari ji to seek date with Prime Minister and invite top leaders such as L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitely, Chief Minister Dhumal, myself and all Himachal MPs to seek an early justice from the Centre."Others who spoke were BJP's national general secretary J P Nadda, party's Himachal affairs in-charge Satya Pal Jain, state BJP chief Khimi Ram and co-in-charge of the party in Himachal O P Dankar.With the crowd swelling, because of which most BJP workers could not even reach the venue, the party had to pull down its posters put up in the backdrop of the dais to clear the view for the audience.ElsewhereUttarakhand, too , seeks extension of central industrial packageDehra dun: Amid confusions that tax exemptions to industries in Himachal Pradesh have been extended for three years, the Uttarakhand government on Sunday sought extension of the total central industrial package. Chairman of the State Media Advisory Committee Devendra Bhasin said the government demanded the extension of total industrial package, including the exemption in excise duty. "This (exemption in excise duty) is the most important part of the package that attracts industries to set up their units," Bhasin said in a statement here. Uttarakhand witnessed a robust growth in industrial sector following the sanction of the package in 2003 by the then government with top notch companies like Tata Motors, Britannia, Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto setting up their units in the state.

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