Hamirpur: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister
Prem Kumar Dhumal on Saturday said his cabinet is likely to be
expanded soon.
"Cabinet expansion is likely in the near future and some
Chairmen and vice Chairmen could also be appointed", he told
mediapersons at Samirpur near here.
On the results of assembly elections in five
states, Dhumal said while the voters outrightly rejected CPI
(M) in West Bengal and overwhelmingly supported Trin Mool
Congress of Mamta Banerjee, development was main issue in the
minds of the electorate in other states.
He said Congress "must learn" from poll results in Tamil
Nadu and Puduchery where its coalition partner DMK had been
mauled by AIADMK led by Jayalalita.
"Congress has nothing to claim from poll results in these
states but its victory in Assam and Kerala was creditable", he
added.
Charging the Congress leaders , Union Minister V B Singh,
HPCC President Kaul Singh Thakur and the leader of the
opposition Vidya Stokes with "misleading" the people on the
issue of giving permission to purchase land in relaxation of
section 118 of Tenancy and Land Reforms Act which barred
non-agriculturists, including Himachalis, from purchasing
land, the Chief Minister said 2,068 persons were given
permission during the previous Congress government while 1,297
permissions were granted during 40 months rule of BJP.
He challenged the Congress leaders to come out with
specific cases of ?benami Land deals? so that appropriate
action could be initiated.
He also reiterated that the government had not provided
any land to any private university or to any institution,
except for Central University, ESI Medical College and IIT
being set up in government sector.
Later addressing a public meeting, he said the Asian
Development Bank would finance the Rs 426-crore tourism
promotion projects and Awah Devi Temple complex would be
developed from religious tourism point of view.
He said that the State Government had already submitted
a detailed project report to the ADB which included
development of several unexplored areas to be developed as
tourist destinations.
PTI
