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Saturday,
September 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Amendment to dilute varsity autonomy
approved Tibet vital to China, India relations:
Rinpoche Governor honours 5
teachers NGO seeks ban on indiscriminate mining BJP flayed for opposing scam
probe |
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Martyr cremated in native
village BJP seeks relief for apple
growers Home Guard jawans loot foreigner Child drowns
in tub
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Amendment to dilute varsity autonomy
approved Shimla, September 5 The cabinet met here today under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh and decided to incorporate a new Section 9 (b) in the Act to empower it to institute an inquiry into financial and administrative matters. Another proposed amendment will make it obligatory to get the decisions taken by the Vice-Chancellor using emergency powers ratified by the executive council within 60 days. The Vice-Chancellor will have to justify in writing the reasons for the use of emergency powers. The provision pertaining to the appointment of Registrar and the finance officer are also proposed to be amended to make an IAS officer with five years service and an HAS officer with nine years of service eligible for the post. The finance officer will be an officer of the state Finance Department. The government will issue an ordinance after seeking assent of the Governor. It accepted the recommendations of the committee constituted by the government under the regional controller, Indian Bureau of Mines, Dehra Dun to study environmental impact of the mines falling in zones of Sirmaur district and decided to reopen limestone mining in Sirmaur district after complying with the measures suggested by the committee. Giving details of the cabinet decisions, Mrs Rajender Bhattacharya, Chief Secretary, said that the cabinet also approved the proposal of re-designating the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation and Department of Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management. The cabinet also decided that forensic laboratory, Shimla be shifted to Junga where infrastructural facilities existed. In addition to already approved fast-track courts at Shimla and Dharamsala the cabinet approved three more fast track courts at Mandi, Una and Bilaspur in current year and the remaining four fast track courts at Solan, Kulu, Chamba and Hamirpur in next financial year. It decided that the Government Degree College, Kotshera (Shimla) be renamed Rajiv Gandhi Government Degree College, Shimla. To receive funds from the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, the state government has approved the formation of the Himachal Pradesh Gram Sadak Development Agency under PMGSY. The agency will be headed by the Chief Secretary and other members being Secretary, PWD, Secretary, Finance, Secretary, Rural Development, Engineer-in-Chief, PWD and all zonal chief engineers, PWD. The cabinet reviewed and decided that H.P. Minorities Finance and Development Corporation, Shimla and state Mahila Nigam, Solan will not be merged with the state Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, Solan. Shimla, September 5 Mr Ravi Mehta, state secretary of the Parishad, said here today that the Parishad held Dr Sharma responsible for all irregularities and no fair probe could be held as long as he was in office. The Parishad had to raised the question paper scam and demanded sacking of the Vice Chancellor in June 2000. Asked whether he should be sent on long leave he said it was for the Governor to decide. He said Parishad was opposed to political interference in university affairs. It wanted that those responsible for destroying the fair name of the university be brought to the book. Mr Mehta claimed that the ABVP won the highest number of seats in the election to the students body. It won 96 seats and posts of president in 25 colleges and of general secretary in 26 colleges. He demanded action against the officer who granted admission to the SFI candidate for the campus association, Mr Jai Lal, by relaxing percentage of marks. |
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Tibet vital to China, India relations:
Rinpoche Dharamsala, September 5 Addressing reporters on the eve of completion of two years of working of first truly elected democratic government of Tibet in Exile, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche said that in the past two years the two main objectives before the Tibetan Central Administration were the resolution of Tibet issue and welfare of Tibetan people and after having revived direct contact with the People’s Republic of China in pursuance of our long adopted Middle Path Policy, plans were afoot to introduce activities in the international arena, bilateral relations with People’s Republic of China and within the Tibetan community for a fruitful negotiation with China. He said many Chinese leaders felt that resolving Tibet issue was necessary for stability and economic development of China but added that there were opponents to this view also. He said changes were visible in Chinese policies relating to Tibet and this was welcome. To a question he said that he welcomed the recent improvements in Sino Indian relations but it was important to solve Tibet issue if relations between India and China were to improve. |
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Governor honours 5
teachers Shimla, September 5 Talking to mediapersons at the state-level Teachers Day function at the local RKMV, he said he was not under pressure from any quarter. He had ordered two inquiries into the affairs of the university and whatever decision he took would be made known to the press. He said the law would take its own course and the guilty would not be spared. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Mr Kokje exhorted the teaching community and students to strive for making the hill state a centre of excellence in higher education. He said the Himalayas had been attracting intellectuals since times immemorial as it had the environment conducive to scholastic pursuits. Complimenting the state for achieving new heights in the field of education, the Governor said credit for this must go to women. The Governor honoured five teachers on the occasion — Mr Daljeet Singh, Mr Des Raj, Mr Des Raj, Mr Mathura Dass and Mr Kishori Lal. Four national award-winning teachers of last year were also honoured. |
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NGO seeks ban on indiscriminate mining Baddi, September 5 Contending that the mining was adversely affecting the environment, the president of the NGO, Mr Gyanendra Bhardwaj, said the irrigation schemes in the region become defunct due to indiscrininate mining, adding that the lift irrigation schemes were on the brink of closure. The water table has been adversely affected, owing to which handpumps now discharge little water even at 150 feet. The NGO fears that if the adverse trend is not checked, it would leave the region barren in the absence of adequate water. The president has also urged the government to impose a total ban on the use of JCB machines by the lessees and cancellation of the lease of those flouting the ban. Expressing concern over the indiscriminate mining, he said at least 20 stone crushers, concentrated in a few places, were playing havoc with the ecology. Feeding the stone crushers in the Bharatgarh-Deerowaal area of Ropar district, they flout norms laid down for mining. The 1,200 tractor trailers, registered for agricultural use but utilised for carrying quarry material in the region, are also perpetuating the illicit trade of mining in the region. With the addition of 300 more tractors in the trade from the Changer area, which feed the stone crushers in neighbouring Punjab, the region has been subjected to massive ecological destruction, laments the president. He has demanded an immediate end to this destructive activity and strict action against the offenders. |
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BJP flayed for opposing scam
probe Shimla, September 5 In a statement here today, she said the probe had caused a panic in the BJP camp as the BJP leaders while accommodating their near and dear ones in the university had thrown rules and regulation to the wind. Mrs Asha Kumari said the government had not interfered in the autonomy of the university. It was the decision of the executive council of the university that the Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.D. Sharma, should proceed on leave pending investigation. |
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Martyr cremated in native
village Hamirpur, September 5 He was killed in an operation with militants on September 2 in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The body of the martyr was brought to his home today and taken to the crematorium after some religious rituals at home. He left behind his parents, brothers, wife and two daughters. He had visited the home two months ago. Rajneesh Kumar, younger brother of the deceased, lit the pyre in the presence of hundreds of local residents who raised the slogans of “Shaheed Rajneesh Kumar amar rahe” and “Pakistan ho barbad”. Mr B.S. Dehal, DSM, Barsar laid wreaths on the body on behalf of the district administration. |
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BJP seeks relief for apple
growers Chamba, September 5 He alleged that the state was expected to do apple business of more than Rs 5000 crore this year; but the government was not paying heed to the difficulties of the apple growers and they were facing losses. He said if the growers were not given assistance by the government, the crop of apples would rot. Mr Kishori Lal said for the transportation of apple more than 1400 trucks were required against 800 trucks available in the state. He demanded relief to apple growers facing loss due to the government’s apathy. Mr Kishori Lal requested Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh to make arrangements for the export and transportation of apples and help the growers so that they were not exploited by big contractors. He also urged the Chief Minister to fix rates of carriage as transporters were charging excessive rates. Mr Kishori Lal also urged Mr Virbhadra Singh to request the Delhi government to scrap 8 per cent commission levied on apple growers. |
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Home Guard jawans loot foreigner Dharamsala, September 5 The incident occurred on Wednesday night when Ben Rieder, a British citizen and photographer by profession, along with his Tibetan friend was returning to his place after attending a party in Hotel Tibet. They were accosted by two persons who claimed themselves to be policemen. They searched the two and snatched a liquor bottle and Rs 5,000 in cash from Ben Rieder. The issue was reported to the police through the Tibetan authorities on Thursday. However, the police denied involvement of any of its jawans on duty. Rieder today met the SP, Kangra, and again lodged a complaint. An Additional SP was deputed to accompany Mr Rieder to recognise the culprits. According to the SP, Kangra, the culprits have been recognised as two home guard jawans. He said the police would find the truth and punish them for the crime. |
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Child drowns
in tub Hamirpur, September 5 The incident took place when his parents were engaged in household chores. |
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