H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Rs 4.36 cr Command Area Dev
Project launched
Sundernagar, February 7
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh said here yesterday that 650 schools had been upgraded in state during the past one year. H

Patwari jailed for 3 years for graft
Kulu, February 7
Shyam Chand son of Churu Ram of Jarad village post office Bhuntar, of this district, posted as patwari was convicted and sentenced by Mr P.D. Goel, Special Judge, here, today to rigorous imprisonment for three years and a fine of rupees 2,000 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

JBT forms to be given free of cost
Kangra, February 7
The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education yesterday decided to keep the junior basic training examination admission forms available free of cost in all the offices of SDMs.

Drunkard kills son
Chamba, February 7
Joginder, alias Pappu killed his two-year-old son Abhishek by a sharp-edged weapon at Ganiyali village, 10 km from here, yesterday. Achhro Devi, mother Abhishek, had gone to nearby houses for work at the time of the incident. On receiving information the police arrested Joginder, alias Pappu, along with the weapon and registered a case.

BSNL mobiles stop ringing
Kumarhatti, February 7
The BSNL telecom services remained paralysed in the area this week. BSNL mobile subscribers at Barog are yet to avail themselves of the services. Subscribers of Barog could not make calls from mobile phones from the past one week. 

NTSE result declared
Solan, February 7
The State Council of Educational Research and Training today declared the result of the stage-I of the National Talent Search Examination, conducted on November 23 last year.

Unscientific mining in Balh banned
Shimla, February 7
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced ban on the unscientific mining in the Balh valley of Mandi district. Addressing a public meeting at Chunahan in the Balh valley of Mandi district after the inauguration of lift irrigations scheme Biharta and Dodoh constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and laying of foundation stone of 33-kv-sub station to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore.

10-yr RI for carrying charas

Rs 4.36 cr Command Area Dev Project launched
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, February 7
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh said here yesterday that 650 schools had been upgraded in state during the past one year. He was addressing a public meeting at Kataula in the Darang Assembly segment after launching the Rs 4.36 crore Command Area Development Project which would irrigate 1377 hectare and dedicated 33kv substation at Nandal and laid the foundation stone of lift Irrigation scheme Kutaula, Nandal and Salegi to constructed at cost of Rs 45 lakh.

The Chief Minister said the state had witnessed revolution in the education sector during the regimes of various Congress Govern-ments which increased the number of educational institutions from 275 (before HP came into existence) to over 14000 (present number). He said that the government had tried to provide primary education to students within radius of 2 km. He said the governments had made the primary education compulsory in the state and parents who did not send their children to schools would be dealt with as per the provisions of law.

He said with the launching of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan about 2500 new middle schools would be opened in the state and amount of 533 crore would be spent for necessary infrastructure in coming three four years.

He announced a grant of Rs 2 crore for the construction of various roads in the Drang Assembly segment and Rs 15 lakh for the construction of the building of Senior Secondary School at Kataula and announced the upgradation of primary school, Nisu to high school and announced the upgradation of high school Batheri to senior school. Mr Kaul Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for providing various development schemes to his area. Mr Rangila Ram, Excise and Taxation Minister, Mrs Pratibha Singh, Vice- Chairman, state Red Cross Society also addressed the gathering.

Patwari jailed for 3 years for graft
Our Correspondent

Kulu, February 7
Shyam Chand son of Churu Ram of Jarad village post office Bhuntar, of this district, posted as patwari was convicted and sentenced by Mr P.D. Goel, Special Judge, here, today to rigorous imprisonment for three years and a fine of rupees 2,000 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years and fined rupees 2,000 under Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The sentences shall run concurrently.

Shyam Chand was nabbed by the anti-corruption unit while taking bribe of Rupees 2000 from Satish Kumar son of Bala Ram of Jia, tehsil and district Kulu for an attested mutation in Kashawari patwar circle at Chhanikhor on April 11, 2002.

JBT forms to be given free of cost

Kangra, February 7
The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education yesterday decided to keep the junior basic training (JBT) examination admission forms available free of cost in all the offices of SDMs.

Mr B.R. Rahi, chairman H.P. Board of School Education, said the decision was taken in the interest of the youth as the recent snowfall had aggravated situation in the far-flung areas. Mr Rahi said besides the offices of SDMs at Bilaspur, Ghumarwin, Chamba, Bharmour, Hamirpur, Badsar, Nadoun, Jaisinghpur, Palampur, Kangra, Nurpur, Dehra, Ricongpeo, Kilong, Kaza, Banjar, Kullu, Manali, Aani, Mandi, Gohar, Sarkaghat, Sundernagar, Karsog, Jogindernagar, Shimla, Rohru, Rampur Bhushar, Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Solan, Arki, Kandaghat, Nalagarh, Una and Amb the JBT admission forms would be available at the Block Primary Education Offices of Banikhet, Jadoota and Baganna from Saturday.

He said these forms would be available at all H.P. Board of School Education depots. He said these forms could be down- loaded from board’s web site www.hpeducationboard.nic.in. He warned that strict action would be taken against those found selling these forms in the black. He said no private bookseller was authorised by the board to sell these forms

Drunkard kills son

Chamba, February 7
Joginder, alias Pappu killed his two-year-old son Abhishek by a sharp-edged weapon at Ganiyali village, 10 km from here, yesterday. Achhro Devi, mother Abhishek, had gone to nearby houses for work at the time of the incident.

She told the police that Joginder who was a drunkard called his son to the kitchen and beheaded him with the sharp-edged weapon.

BSNL mobiles stop ringing
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, February 7
The BSNL telecom services remained paralysed in the area this week. BSNL mobile subscribers at Barog are yet to avail themselves of the services. Subscribers of Barog could not make calls from mobile phones from the past one week. 

There was disruption in incoming calls too. Subscribers were unable to call on BSNL landline phones and even mobile to mobile call on BSNL connections was out of reach.Mobile services were hit after the area had heavy snow on weekend. BSNL mobile network was down for one week and the department had failed to rectify the fault, alleged Mr H.L. Kapoor of Peach View Hill Resorts, Barog. Mr S.K. Bose, General Manager (Telecom) Solan district claimed that the snag in the telecom services had been rectified. He denied any problem with BSNL mobile connections.

NTSE result declared
Our Correspondent

Solan, February 7
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) today declared the result of the stage-I of the National Talent Search Examination, conducted on November 23 last year.

Fortyfive candidates, including 35 from the general category, seven from the SC and three from the ST category, had been declared successful. They have been recommended to appear in the national-level examination to be held on May 9 at the SCERT here.

The roll numbers of the successful candidates are as follows: general category- 3099, 3608, 3075, 3739, 3101, 3167, 3211, 3261, 3665, 3052, 3226, 3736, 3779, 3070, 3690, 3733, 3212, 3771, 3686, 3426, 3549, 3151, 3210, 3198, 3229, 3366, 3512, 3180, 3374, 3598, 3139, 3152, 3153, 3783 and 3556. ST-3213, 3235, 3149. SC-3135, 3808, 3243, 3002, 3761, 3838 and 3295.

Unscientific mining in Balh banned

Shimla, February 7
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced ban on the unscientific mining in the Balh valley of Mandi district.

Addressing a public meeting at Chunahan in the Balh valley of Mandi district after the inauguration of lift irrigations scheme Biharta and Dodoh constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and laying of foundation stone of 33-kv-sub station to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore.

Chief Minister announced the upgradation of Government High School, Rajwary and Dasehara to senior secondary schools, Government middle school, Kummi to high school and Government Primary School, Annu, Pali, Janed, Dadour and Leda to middle schools. — PTI

10-yr RI for carrying charas
Our Correspondent

Kulu, February 7
The Sessions Judge, Mr P.D. Goel, today sentenced Raju Basniyat, son of Rajinder Basbuyat of Nepal to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 1 lakh under the NDPS Act In default of payment of fine, he will have to undergo imprisonment for one more year. Raju Basniyat was arrested by the Kulu police for carrying 2 kg of charas.