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| Sunday, April 9, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Cong
blamed for school vacancies HP may have own excise law
Farmers of merged villages
perplexed Pradhan suspended for fraud Advocates’ welfare scheme
launched |
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Statute review: Cong
‘misleading’ people Big bypass, little funds Kabir improperly understood:
experts Plea to resume bus service Temple to hold
‘bhandara’
|
Cong blamed for school
vacancies SHIMLA, April 8 — Members of the Opposition yesterday expressed concern at the failure of the Education Department to post teachers and other staff in schools, particularly in far-flung areas. Mr Ishwar Das Dhiman, Education Minister, faced a volley of questions from members who alleged that the government had failed to fill vacant posts despite repeated assurance. Mr Ishwar Das, however, blamed the indiscriminate opening of schools by the previous Congress government on the eve of elections for the situation. He said a large number of institutions had been opened without any thought for staff and other facilities. He said in all 7789 posts of various categories of teachers and non-teaching staff were vacant. These included 87 posts of Principal, 1878 of School Lecturer 25 of Vocational Teacher, 1050 of Graduate Teacher, 54 of headmaster and 2899 in the non-teaching section. Mr Dhiman said the process to fill the posts of Lecturer was under way, both by promotion through the Public Service Commission and appointed. Mr Roop Singh, Forest Minister, told Mr Gangu Ram Musafir that under the Watershed Development Scheme, 83189 hectares had been covered from April 1, 1998, to January 31,2000, at an expenditure of Rs 20.04 crore. He said in the second phase Rs 169 crore would be spent and the government would consider including new areas at the time of mid-term appraisal of the scheme. Replying to Mr Jaa Ram Thakur, the Forest Minister said officers who undertook foreign training were mostly posted at special projects. The skill of those posted elsewhere was well-utilised. Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, told Mr Chander Kumar that in the first phase of the Crop Insurance Scheme started by the Centre, wheat, barley, maize, paddy and potato would be covered. The crops for which production data based on crop cutting experiments by random sampling was being assessed would be covered in the next three years. Dr Rajan Sushant, Revenue Minister, informed Mr Harsh Mahajan that the Shimla district administration was registering transactions of plots and land under the planning area located in banned areas, green belts, parks, forests and utility areas as per the interim development plan. He said there was no
proposal to ban such registration immediately and to
direct the administration to demand a no-objection
certificate from the Town and Country Planning
Department. |
HP may have own excise law SHIMLA, April 8 — The Himachal Government will consider to bring its own legislation to replace the Punjab Excise Act applicable to the state at present. Stating this in the state Assembly while replying to the discussion on the excise policy for the year 2000-2001, the PWD Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh, said Himachal Pradesh being a hill state the social environment and topography was different that from Punjab. It would be, thus, in the fitness of things to that the state had its own excise Act. He also assured the House that the government would review the policy to levy a cess at the rate of Re 1 per liquor bottle to raise financial resources for panchayats while formulating the excise policy next year. He said suggestion of members would also be incorporated in the policy. He said the decision to reduce excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor from Rs 39 to Rs 27 per proof litre and on country liquor from Rs 19 to Rs 10 per proof litre had yielded the desired result as evident from the fact that the auction of liquor kiosks fetched a better average revenue than the neighbouring states. The overall increase in revenue over the previous year was 17.89 per cent. The decision to allow the department to compound excise cases up to Rs 25,000 had been taken to ensure the speedy disposal of cases. A flying squad had been set up at Una to effectively check smuggling of liquor and illicit distillation. Earlier raising the discussion, Mr Kaul Singh expressed concern that liquor kiosks could now be opened just at a distance of 60 m from educational institutions and religious shrines instead of 100 m under the old policy. The decision to enhance the power to compound cases would only encourage offenders. He said there was no check on illicit distillation, particularly, in border areas and liquor was being sold out in the adjoining states. He suggested that January 26 and August 15 should not be dry days as these were occasion to celebrate. Mr Virbhadra Singh, Leader of Opposition, said that the policy to levy cess on liquor bottle at the rate of Re 1 introduced by his government had not been a good experience. It became an incentive for panchayats to open liquor vend which was not in the interest of the state and should be scrapped with immediate effect. Mr B.B. Butail said provision should be made for on-the-spot fine for illegal sale of liquor in shops and kiosks. Mr Rakesh Pathania
demanded stringent steps to curb illicit distillation in
the Chhanni village of Kangra district. |
Farmers of merged villages
perplexed SHIMLA: Farmers and inhabitants of the 36 freshly merged villages in the Shimla Municipal Corporation are anxious and distraught these days regarding their rights and concessions in their own agricultural lands. Their nemesis is now attached and equated to the people of the 29 villages which are already under the corporation since Independence. "Do we have any traditional rights left in our own malkiats (land for which mamla or tax was paid) and adjoining forests?" Is the question which is leaving them on tenterhooks. "Will we be given timber and fuel on occasions of marriage, death, religious and social ceremonies apart from repairing and building our houses?" They are asking. The plight of the already-merged villages is making the villagers contemplate seriously. In the old, merged areas the farmers are not allowed even to take "chang" (cutting tree leaves and bushes for fodder) from the forest. Mrs Ganeshoo Devi, a 73-year-old widow and a noted resident of one of the villages, applied for TD (timber distribution) in Shimla Municipal Corporation about 13 years ago (December on 7, 1987, with full fees on receipt No. 004934) for repairing her house. But it was of no use although she did a regular correspondence with the corporation officials for the past more than a decade which is even verified by the corporation’s Forest Officer. "I had so far provided them with all kinds of land papers and formalities, but in vain", says the harassed woman. "And when we are not allowed any cutting or lopping for household use from the forest or our malkiat, why should we go in for a new plantation?" she asks. Surprisingly, on the other hand, regular sanctions, to cut tree are being given to some well-connected people even in the town area of the corporation, these villagers allege. Some powerful people and influential builders in the town are buying disputed plots along with trees at throwaway prices. They immediately get permissions and within no time their multi-storyed RCC structures come up, the villagers complain. How do these people operate? The modus operandi includes mainly exploring the loopholes in the bylaws. "We don’t have a firm policy regarding this; it is vague", says a concerned official from the corporation. "As per rule, we can’t refuse permission to people who have plots with trees which are either dead, dying moribund or posing threat to life and property of others", he elaborates. A number of trees in Shimla have been cut in the past on the basis of these pleas. It is an extremely uncommon instance that a tree has posed a threat to life or property in Shimla ever, says Narender Chauhan of the People’s Action Group, a local NGO. Trees are made to look dead, dying or dangerous either by nailing them, pouring acid on the roots or digging the ground beneath them in a totally anti-nature and inhuman endeavour, allege many locals, especially commuters from Sanjauli to the maintown, who every day notice the depleting forest cover on their way. There was a thick forest of oak, rhododendrons and deodar trees just before Snowdon Hospital, but now there is a cluster of hotels, guest houses and other buildings in the area, says Surinder Sharma, a lawyer coming from the suburbs. It is an open secret who is doing what, he adds. There is a double advantage to these people in the process. First, they get the sanction to get rid of trees from their plots. Secondly, they get timber worth thousands of rupees which can be used in construction, says P.S. Thakur, a sufferer from a nearby village. "On the other hand, the corporation forest staff takes away our tools even if we are found chopping twigs and bushes for our cattle", he complains. However, the Forest Officer of the corporation denies any illegal felling in the town. "The trees are identified by the technical staff of our office and a high-level tree committee is constituted for the purpose", it says. The notification for merging the 36 new villages under the corporation has been issued in haste, without going into the technical details, confesses the corporation’s forest staff. It was given in the notification that the rights and concessions of villages would remain intact. But once they come under the corporation, the Indian Forest Conservation Act and all municipal acts have to be applied on every incorporated area. Due to the prevailing ambiguity, the residents are confused regarding whom and where to apply for TD and other customary rights? Do they come under the Forest Department, Shimla, or the DFO Municipal Corporation? Is there any relevance left of the Indian Preservation Act in which trees can be cut for personal use in one’s own malkiat (holding)? What will be the status of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal (Prevention of Soil Erosion & Hillside Safety) Rules, 1975, in which felling and cutting was allowed to zamindars or rightholders for building or repairing houses, making implements or burning charcoal, burying or cremating corpses and marriage and funeral feasts. Due to the muddle of the
merger, the farmers of the villages are totally perplexed
as no concession has been given to them vis-a-vis the
wazib-ul-urz or customary forest use rights, since the
date of the notification, it appears. |
Pradhan suspended for fraud NAHAN, April 8 — Mr Durga Ram, pradhan of gram panchayat Birla under Nahan developmental block, was suspended by Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour, Mr Rakesh Kaushal for misappropriation of Rs 1.93 lakh. Giving details the Deputy Commissioner said the pradhan, Mr Durga Ram, was given a cheque of Rs 34 thousand for construction of link road from Palgani to Krondwali and a similar link road up to Jalal river. But to date no road was made although the money was drawn but not entered in the cash book of the panchayat. Mr Kaushal added that
the pradhan withdrew Rs 1.23 lakh as advance for repair
and construction work under various developmental schemes
but no development work was carried out. In another case
he overspent Rs 8,367 of government money without
financial sanction. |
Statute review: Cong
‘misleading’ people SHIMLA, April 8 — Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, Secretary of the all-India BJP and in charge of the party’s SC and ST morcha affairs of the state, has accused the Congress of misleading the people, particularly Dalits, on the review of the Constitution and asserted that the exercise would not disturb the present system of quota in jobs and educational institutions. Addressing a press conference here yesterday, he said a review of the Constitution was required to take care of issues like defection, abuse of money power in election and the role of Governors but the Congress was indulging in false propaganda that it was a conspiracy to end the facility of reservation. BJP leaders like Mr Kanshi Ram and Ms Mayawati were also spreading misinformation. He said the party would organise "Dalit sangam" at New Delhi on April 17 to expose the designs of the Congress. The BJP, he said, was the true well-wisher of Dalits and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee had already announced that the Constitution would be amended to remove the problems created by the Supreme Court judgement in the Indira Sawhney versus Government of India case. He also accused Mrs
Sonia Gandhi of adopting double-standards. She made much
hue and cry over the stray murders of Christians but
ignored the atrocities on Dalits. She replaced the Chief
Minister of Orissa when a Christian was killed but the
brutal burning of eight Harijans in Kolar evoked no
reaction. |
Advocates’ welfare scheme launched SHIMLA, April 8 — The H.P. Advocates Welfare Fund Scheme was launched here today by Mr S.K. Kaarvendhan, Chairman, Bar Council of India. Speaking on the occasion, he congratulated the Bar Council of H.P. and its members and Chairman for having taken the initiative to launch such a scheme. He exhorted the advocates to become members of the scheme and make it a success. The scheme is aimed at providing social security to advocates in the event of ailment or accident and to the next to kin in the event of death. The scheme also provides for accidental insurance cover to the members. Funds for the scheme will be generated by sale of "welfare stamp" by the Bar Council. Henceforth, advocates in the state will be required to affix a "welfare stamp" of Rs 5/- on each vakalatnama. The function was attended by advocates from all over the state. Senior advocates who have completed 50 years or more of legal practice were honoured by the Bar Council with plaques of honour. Among them were Mr Amar Chand Sood, Mr D.K. Khanna, Mr Rana Kultar Chand, Mr Ved Vyas Mahajan and Mr Kashmir Singh Thakur. Lala Amar Chand Sood,
advocate, the senior-most practising advocate in the
state, made the first donation of Rs 11,000 towards the
H.P. Advocates Welfare Fund Scheme. |
Big bypass, little funds HAMIRPUR, April 8 — The proposed bypass for Hamirpur may come a cropper if the present level of allocation of funds continues. The 6.5 km long bypass is to be constructed to ease traffic congestion in Hamirpur. But a sum of only Rs two lakh has been sanctioned for this ambitious project this year against its estimated cost of 3.15 crore. At present all buses to Shimla and Dharamsala pass through the state highways that bifurcates the town. This leads to traffic congestion and major and minor accidents. The proposed bye-pass will divert traffic via Mattensidh side and return to the state highway near Krishnanagar locality. According to sources work on acquisition of land has already started. Notifications to acquire land under Section 4 had been issued by Hamirpur division of the PWD, whereas the notification was yet to be issued by the Tounidevi division. However insiders in the department say not a single paisa has been spent on the project until March 2000. The project was listed in the budget for 1997-98 but no money was sanctioned for it either then or in 1998-99. According to sources, the state government has now decided to take loans from Nabarad as well as listing this project under the National Highways - 88 scheme for linking Shimla with Kangra via Hamirpur. Residents are upset at
the tiny sum sanctioned for the project and wonder if the
state government is serious about the project or whether
this just another political promise of the CM to his home
constituency. |
Kabir improperly understood:
experts SHIMLA, April 8 — A two-day national seminar on "Bharatiya Chintan aur Kabir" concluded here yesterday. In his valedictory address, Prof S.K. Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, HPU stated that Kabir was a symbol of "samta and samras". Dr Ambedkar regarded Kabir as one of his three gurus. He exhorted young scholars and students to clear the cobwebs of confusion around Kabir. Dr Devender Deepak from Bhopal, in his presidential remarks stated that Kabir was atheist though he did not propagate any particular sect, whereas scholars had tried to present him as a secular atheist. Dr Tribhuvan Nath Shukla from Jabalpur praised Kabir for highlighting the deficiencies and evils in both the then Hindu and Muslim society. Prof Baldev Vansh and Dr
Satya Narain Vyas said Kabir was a Vedantic poet, though
he perceived Vedic tradition in a unique way. They said
it would be wrong to perceive the writings of Kabir in a
communist ideological mould. |
Plea to resume bus service KUMARHATTI, April 8 — Resentment prevails among the residents of Subhathu, Dharampur and 20 surrounding villages of Solan district who had been inconvenienced owing to the discontinuation of Subhathu-Dehra bus service. The Solan depot has discontinued the bus service, saying that it was economically unviable. Mr Sushil Garg,
secretary of the district BJP, said the bus service was
particularly beneficial to Army personnel of Subhathu
cantonment belonging to Hamirpur and Kangra districts
being the only direct bus from Subhathu for these
districts. Mr Sushil Garg demanded that the bus service
which had been in operation for over 20 years should be
immediately resumed. |
Temple to hold
‘bhandara’ KASAULI, April 8 — As a part of Navratra celebrations, Shri Sidh Baba Balak Nath Mandir Management Committee, Granar Parbat, Garhkhal (Kasauli) will organise a "bhandara" on April 11 at 1.00 p.m. here, according to Mr Vijay Kumar, president of the committee. "Puja archana"
and bhajans will be held by Shri Vashno Sankirtan Mandali
Mashowara (Kasauli). |
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