M A I N   N E W S

Goa minister’s car impounded
Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundernagar, May 18
A car which was carrying the family members of the Panchayati Raj Minister of Goa, Mr Babu, on which the “Tricolour” was hoisted, was impounded by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kulu, on May 15 when he was checking traffic with other staff. An inquiry revealed that the minister was not in the car and the driver was to produce the registration certificate, insurance papers and his driving licence.

According to information, the minister was on a trip to Himachal on May 15, the vehicle was stopped nowhere when it entered Himachal. Police officials never stop a vehicle displaying the Tricolour. The vehicle crossed Mandi district but when it entered Kulu district the CJM, Kulu, who was on routine traffic checking, noticed the minister was not sitting in the vehicle so the official vehicle bearing number DL 2 CH 1640 was impounded on the spot under Section 207 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Many senior police officials tried to resolve the matter but the situation could not be avoided despite efforts made by higher officials.

Later, the driver of the vehicle gave an application admitting that inadvertently the Tricolour was hoisted on the car and prayed for release of the vehicle. With the application he attached an authority letter from the Resident Commissioner to the effect that the driver was competent to get the vehicle released.

The court after due formalities released the vehicle last evening. The court ordered the applicant to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 for violation of Sections 177, 181 and 196 of the Motor Vehicle Act. The fine was deposited by the driver.

Many senior officials of the government were engaged in getting the vehicle released. A special messenger was sent to bring the documents of the vehicle. This is the first case of its kind where a vehicle displaying the Tricolour has been impounded.

The minister remained sitting in a Himachal Tourism cafe at Kulu for whole day till the vehicle was released. Earlier, the minister along with his family members wanted to enjoy their stay at Manali but returned yesterday after this incident. 

Himachal to regularise 11,200 employees
Special fee for registration numbers of choice
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 18
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet today decided to regularise the services of 11,200 work-charged employees in the Public Works and the IPH Departments, approved the guidelines for environment protection and decided to charge a special fee for registration numbers of choice for vehicles.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal.

Briefing mediapersons on the Cabinet decisions, the Chief Secretary, Mr A. K. Goswami, said the regularised employees would be entitled to all benefits on a par with permanent employees. This would put an additional burden of Rs 1.5 crore on the government.

However, their retirement age would be 58 instead of 60.

Mr Goswami said the Cabinet approved the environment policy guidelines covering the subjects of land use geology, forests, agriculture, horticulture, biodiversity and water resources, besides the health, energy and tourism sectors.

He said the first-ever state of environment report had been prepared by the Department of Science and Technology through a participatory approach. The report encompassed the status of all natural resources available in the state and problems and issues requiring attention of scientists, planners and the government.

He said land was the prime resource of the state and environmental disturbances were often caused due to pressure of social or economic expediency. The policing role of the state Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board would be corrected so that it played a developmental and guiding role as was being done in eco-sensitive societies.

Mr Goswami said the government was determined to conserve and enhance the environs and follow a policy of sustainable development. It sought cooperation of the people, Panchayati Raj institutions and local bodies for the purpose.

The Cabinet decided to do away with the discretion being exercised by the registration and licencing authorities in the grant of registration numbers for motor vehicles.

A fee of Rs 10,000 would be charged for registration of numbers from 0001 to 0010, Rs 5,000 for numbers from 0011 to 0100 and Rs 1,000 for those between 0101 and 9999. The fee would not be payable in case an insured vehicle met with an accident and the owner sought the same number for a new vehicle.

Mr Goswami said in order to provide regular care to about 753 wild animals in seven zoos, the government decided to create one post of Veterinary Officer in the Forest Department, abolishing the post of Assistant Conservator of Forests.

As per the directions of the High Court, the state government decided to fix the price of per cubic metre of standing volume of timber of scheduled species. The owners had the option to take outright payment of trees or opt for payment calculated after deducting the expenses from the sale of the end produce at open auctions.

The Cabinet decided that selection committees be constituted for appointment of water carriers in primary schools. The Chief Minister would have the discretion to make an appointment on compensate grounds.

As many as 103 posts of teachers were sanctioned for the seven high schools opened recently.