H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

CM hikes freedom fighters’ honorarium
Sundernagar, January 30
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has announced a hike in the monthly honorarium for freedom fighters from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, marriage grant to their daughters and grand daughters from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 and for their last rites from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. 

• Statue of freedom fighter unveiled

Service selection board without work!
Hamirpur, January 30
The HP State Subordinate Services Selection Board here, which was opened during the BJP regime, has no work. But its 60 employees and officers of the board draw Rs 5 lakh per month as salaries. The board had stopped working after the Enforcement Department on March 9, last year, raided its office.

New software to cut cost of Army training

Shimla, January 30 State-of-the-art computer warfare software, developed by the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), will go a long way in cutting down the cost of training, besides preparing the Army for future challenges. Lieut-Gen J.J. Singh releases ARTRAC books at Shimla on Friday. — Photo by Anil Dayal

Dhumal for fewer boards
Hamirpur, January 30
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has demanded a decrease in the number of boards and corporations in the state.

Bird flu alert in Himachal
Shimla, January 30
The state government has asked the Animal Husbandry Department to keep a close watch on the poultry stock in the state in view of the outbreak of bird flu in India’s neighbouring countries.

Tributes paid to Mahatma Gandhi
Shimla, January 30
Tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his martyrdom day today.

Scenes from Shimla following fresh snow-fall on Friday. — photos by Anil Dayal

 

 

 

CM hikes freedom fighters’ honorarium
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, January 30
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has announced a hike in the monthly honorarium for freedom fighters from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, marriage grant to their daughters and grand daughters from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 and for their last rites from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. He announced this at a state-level freedom fighters' conference organised at Mandi today.

The Chief Minister said two seats would be reserved in buses for freedom fighters. He said a memorial would be erected in memory of the freedom fighters of the state. The government would ensure timely allotment of funds for reimbursing their bills, he added.

Regarding reservation of seats for wards of freedom fighters in government services the Chief Minister said a campaign would be launched in April and May to clear the backlog.

Mr Sushil Rattan, vice-chairman, State Freedom Fighters Welfare Board, welcomed the Chief Minister and gave a detailed account of the facilitates being extended by the state government. He also apprised the Chief Minister of the various problems being faced by freedom fighters.

Pt Padamanath, president, District Mandi Freedom Fighters Association, and Pt Sita Ram, veteran freedom fighter and former MLA also spoke on the occasion. Pt Gauri Prasad, former minister, delivered vote of thanks.

Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, IPH Minister, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, and Mr Kuldeep Kumar, Cooperative Minister, were among others present on the occasion.

Statue of freedom fighter unveiled
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, January 30
The statue of freedom fighter and former minister Hari Dass was unveiled at Kunihar by Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, Speaker, Himachal Vidhan Sabha, on his 20th death anniversary on Wednesday. The Speaker described Hari Dass as a model for youth who had not only actively participated in the freedom struggle but also rendered service to eradicate social evils in the society.

Keeping in mind the sacrifices of the freedom fighters the state government had set up a freedom fighters board, said the Speaker.

Mr Musafir said an artificial lake would be constructed at Kunihar to woo tourists. He stressed that tourism potential of the area should be exploited to create jobs for educated youth of state. Sushila Thakur, wife of Hari Dass, was honoured at the function. The other freedom fighters of Solan district were also honoured by Kunihar panchayat. The Speaker announced Rs 5000 for schoolchildren who presented cultural programme. Mr Dharampal Thakur, Deputy Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, while addressing the gathering said Hari Dass had played vital role in the development of the Arki area. A blood donation and a free medical camp was organised.

Service selection board without work!
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, January 30
The HP State Subordinate Services Selection Board here, which was opened during the BJP regime, has no work. But its 60 employees and officers of the board draw Rs 5 lakh per month as salaries.

The board had stopped working after the Enforcement Department on March 9, last year, raided its office. The special investigation team of the department had seized vital documents of the board on the charges that it had given jobs to certain persons through unfair means.

The new Congress government, however, added one more member to make it a two-member board for its smooth functioning.

Moreover, the state government has not given its approval to the much-awaited rules of business for the board. This has led to the board being without work as the present Government had declared the old rules of business as wrong and anti-candidates.

The board and the HP State Public Service Commission are on a collision path as the commission has returned all files pertaining to the posts of the headmaster. The previous BJP government had sanctioned the posts of headmaster in senior secondary schools of the state. However, the new Congress government has turned down this suggestion as a result the commission has returned all such applications to the board for action at their end.

The board has now reportedly decided to write to the state government regarding the fate of the posts of the headmasters and money taken from the candidates.

There are reports that the Chairman of the board, Mr Tashi Dawa, has written to the state government to send them fresh guidelines about the works to be undertaken by it and how and when to start the new recruitments.

New software to cut cost of Army training
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 30
State-of-the-art computer warfare software, developed by the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), will go a long way in cutting down the cost of training, besides preparing the Army for future challenges.

Stating this here today, while releasing two books published by ARTRAC, Lieut-Gen J.J. Singh, GOC-in-C of the training command, said war games developed by the simulators division were comparable to the ones available with advanced countries like the USA. Simulated warfare eliminated the need for frequent exercises in the field.

He said, it had been decided to hold field exercises for strike forces at the corps level once in every three years. The simulators were also being used to impart training in handling of sophisticated war equipment and machinery including tanks, artillery and vehicles. He said the book entitled “Quest for Excellence” was a coffee table book, providing an overview of the training being imparted in the Army. The other book, “Leadership”, aimed to acquaint young Army officers about the finer aspects of leadership and would be useful for corporate managers and civil officers.

Lieut-Gen J.J. Singh is taking over as the GOC-in-C of the Western Command on February 1.

Dhumal for fewer boards
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, January 30
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has demanded a decrease in the number of boards and corporations in the state.

In a statement issued here this evening, he called the decision of the state government to frame a new corporation for the OBCs and the Dalits as an effort of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to accommodate another of his trusted persons as the Chairman of a new corporation. Mr Dhumal said the new corporation would only benefit politicians.

He said Congress leaders were levelling baseless allegations against the BJP, claiming that the BJP had done more than any other party for the OBCs, the Dalits and the tribal people.

Bird flu alert in Himachal
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 30
The state government has asked the Animal Husbandry Department to keep a close watch on the poultry stock in the state in view of the outbreak of bird flu in India’s neighbouring countries.

Mr Harsh Mahajan, Minister for Animal Husbandry, said a quick survey of government and private poultry farms had been conducted and so far no case of bird flu had been detected. The department had been directed to keep a watch on the chickens and eggs being imported from adjoining states.

Meanwhile, the state Health Department has also convened a meeting in this regard. Mr P.C. Kapoor, Health Secretary, said adequate preventive measures had been taken.

9-year-old child kidnapped
Our Correspondent

Paonta Sahib, January 30
A nine-year-old child was abducted last night by four armed kidnappers. The child, Parminder Singh, alias Lucky, son of Mr Harbhajan Singh, is a resident of Patti Natha Singh village, 4 km from here. The abducted child is a student of Class IV in Middle School, Rampur Ghat. (According to PTI, Mr Harbhajan Singh, father of Parminder Singh, was also kidnapped.)

This incident took place at around 9.30 pm last night and the abductors snatched Rs 4,000 from the mother of the child, Mrs Tajinder Kaur. The abductors have demanded Rs 10 lakh for releasing the child. They fled in a Maruti car from the scene of the crime.

The DSP, Mr Bhagat Singh Thakur, was informed about the incident. He visited the spot along with a police party at around 10 pm.

A case has been registered at the local police station under Sections 392, 364, 342 and 34, IPC. Police parties have left for the Uttaranchal and UP. Mrs Tajinder Kaur told the police that the abductors appeared to be from UP by the dialects they used.

Tributes paid to Mahatma Gandhi
Tribune Reporter

Shimla, January 30
Tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his martyrdom day today.

Mr Sohan Lal, Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mr Harbhajan Singh, MLA, and senior officers garlanded the statue of the Father of the Nation at the Ridge.

A two-minute silence was also observed as a mark of respect for the great leader.

The martyrdom day was also observed at Congress Bhavan. The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was garlanded on behalf of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, and Mrs Vidya Stokes, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief.

3 killed as jeep falls into khud
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 30
Three persons were killed and four injured when a jeep fell into a khud near Durgapur on the the Shimla-Tattapani road, about 28 km from here, today. While, Mr R.K. Kanwal and his wife, Ms Ved Kanwal, residents of Phase VI, Mohali were killed on the spot, Mr Jitender Singha of Kotkhai succumbed to his injuries at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here. The injured, Mr Ripad, a retired Principal of the Government College, Sanjauli, Ms Kamala Singha and Capt H.R. Singha, were admitted to the hospital.

They were on way to Rampur via Basantpur as the Hindustan-Tibet Road was blocked due to snow beyond Dhalli.

Bid to set buses afire
Our Correspondent

Kangra, January 30
Miscreants made an attempt to set buses parked at Tehsil Chowk in the town on fire last night, the police said here today.

It said the buses belonged to a private transport agency. He said the rear tyres of a bus were damaged in the fire.

The police has registered a case under Sections 435 and 511 of the IPC.

The buses were saved from further damage when some tourists saw the tyres of a bus burning and informed a local shopkeeper, who informed the police and the fire brigade.

Feb 6 gazetted holiday
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 30
The HP Government has declared February 6 as a gazetted holiday on the birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Dass instead of a restricted holiday for its employees and educational institutions in the state.