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Eight more
ministers resign Himachal BJP MLAs stage walkout Ban on illegal mining puts govt in ticklish situation Gastroenteritis spread exposes govt claims Dental colleges told to furnish proof of recognition |
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Chinks in adventure sports
Namgyal Wangchuk enthroned by Dalai Lama Mankotia for probe into
Kargil conflict
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Eight more ministers resign Shimla, June 29 The reconstitution of the PCC will enable Mr Virbhadra Singh to draft senior leaders who might be dropped from the Council of Ministers — in the party organisation. He is not satisfied with the constitution and functioning of the PCC and has been calling for the induction of experienced leaders. Meanwhile, Ms Vidya Stokes has also resigned as Power Minister. She faxed her resignation from New Delhi this after noon. The task at hand is not an easy one and Mr Virbhadra Singh admits this. Some ministers from both factions will to have to be dropped to bring down their number to 12 in accordance with the new law. “Initially, I planned to have a two-tier set up so that some young leaders could be given berth but that would entail a large-scale change in the existing ministry, which would be an unpleasant task”, he said. |
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Himachal BJP MLAs stage walkout Shimla, June 29 The altercation started when Mr Ravinder Ravi of the BJP alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, during his recent tour of Kangra district, handed over a list of contractors owing allegiance to the ruling Congress to PWD officers. He instructed them that they should be awarded works, he added. Mr Virbhadra Singh termed it a “bundle of lies” and said it was not his style of functioning. While announcing that an inquiry would be conducted into the allegation, he also warned the BJP member that he should be prepared to face the consequences if the charge was found to be false. While he was speaking some BJP members accused him of releasing grants from his discretionary fund on regional considerations. This infuriated the ruling party members who stood up, protesting over the allegation. They retaliated by stating that during Mr Dhumal’s rule 60 per cent of the state’s budget was spent for his area. Noisy scenes followed. After heated exchanges, the BJP members walked out in protest. Earlier, replying to a discussion on cut motions pertaining to the police and allied departments, Mr Virbhadra Singh urged the Opposition not to politicise the issue. Mr Damodar Dass underlined the need to provide more funds and facilities for the police for its effective and efficient functioning. Mr K.D. Dharmani suggested that a survey should be conducted for setting up more police stations and police posts, while Mr Ramesh Dhawala called for stringent steps to curb rash driving and making training in a driving school compulsory for issue of licence. |
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Ban on illegal mining puts govt in ticklish situation Mandi, June 29 The situation is so crucial that the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today called a meeting of the top officials from the Forest Farming and Conservation, Industries and the Revenue departments in Shimla to bail the state out of the crisis. Sources said the government had constituted the Dhani Ram committee on the matter, which was likely to submit its report next month. The inputs from various parts of the state indicate that the ban on mining following the direction from the Supreme Court to implement the Act in letter and spirits has put government in such a ticklish situation that if it seeks to construct a school building it simply can not do so because it has no land with it and needs NOC from the Centre under the Act, the sources stated. The ban on mining followed when the state government withdrew its notification on September 9, 2003, that transferred all wastelands, including shamlat and charagah draghtan, which was earlier available for the government use, under the Act, disclosed officials. “The government has no land and as such it has no power to auction the mining sites unless cleared by the Centre”, they added. Because of the ban the illegal mining activities are done in night in Mandi, Kulu, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra districts. Dozens of trolley owners engaged in the activities are challaned to ensure that the ban is in place. As the ban continues, the sand and bajri prices have skyrocketed by more than Rs 500 per tonnes in many parts of the state. In the process the suppliers and contractors are minting the money. In Mandi district, over 40 persons have been challaned for ‘illegal mining’ in June till today and reports of ‘challaning’ have been received here from the other parts of state as well. Even the bigger contractors engaged in the hydro projects, buildings, bridges, roads and other construction activities have switched over to the ‘night suppliers’, leave alone ‘small- time contractors or private house builders, who depend mainly on tractors or trolleys suppliers for sand and bajris’. The big contractors have the ‘demarcated sand and stone-crusher sites to meet their demand’, but they also look for cheaper local suppliers, disclosed the top officials. When the state geologist, Mr Arun Sharma, was contacted he said the state had just a few auctioned sites in the Nalagarh-Una-Kangra belt, while there were no ‘legal sites’ available for auction in the rest of the eight districts. “We are identifying the fresh riverbeds sites”, he added. |
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Gastroenteritis spread exposes govt claims Hamirpur, June 29 The state government had initiated preventive measures to control communicable diseases, especially the water-borne ones, such as jaundice, gastroenteritis and diarrhoea during this summer and monsoon. To ensure proper hygiene and sanitation, thereby reducing the cause of communicable diseases, the water sources are being chlorinated and cleaned. A meeting of a District-level coordination committee under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner here was conducted to chalk out strategies in this connection in consultation with Revenue, Education, Panchayati Raj and Irrigation and Public Health departments. The state government claims that random checks for water quality are being done regularly. Special attention is also being given to the high-risk pockets. At the places where water is found to be unfit for drinking, the authorities concerned are told to ensure supply of clean water. However, despite all these efforts, gastroenteritis has been spreading in Masyana village and three other villages under the Mansai panchayat of the district. Nearly 150 persons have been found suffering from the disease due to the consumption of raw and unfit water. It has alarmed the district authorities. Dr P.R.Katwal, District Health Officer, said today that there was no shortage of medicines to cure the patients of water-borne diseases. Sources in the district administration told this correspondent that the Deputy Commissioner had sought a detailed report from the authorities of Panchyati Raj institutions and various other departments regarding their preparedness to tackle the problem. |
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Dental colleges told to furnish proof of recognition Solan, June 29 Dr RP Government Medical College at Tanda, HP Government Dental College Shimla, Himachal Dental College Sundernagar, MNDAV Dental College Tatul (Solan), Bhojia Dental College Budh (Nalagarh) and Himachal Institute of Dental Sciences Poanta Sahib were issued letters by the Controller of Examinations HP University on June 22 directing them to inform the university about their recognition status. The authorities of these colleges were told to expedite their recognition process. Officials of the Bhojia Dental College said the recognition was recommended by the DCI on June 18 and now they were awaiting for the case to be cleared on time by the Ministry of Health. The university authorities were concerned about the colleges which were selling prospectus when the total number of seats were still uncertain. It was learnt that the Dental College Shimla had applied for 20 additional seats which were yet to be approved. Taking exception to the non-receipt of the fee structure and the distribution of seats plan in the private dental colleges the HP University has given the direction to save candidates from inconvenience who will appear in the counselling due to begin from July 15. These colleges have already completed the four-year course of dental science and the grant of recognition becomes mandatory for the students passing out. |
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Chinks in adventure sports Manali, June 29 Though the state tourism authorities have dismissed the mid-air incident as an “unfortunate human error on the part of the flier and not on the part of the pilot”, but the recurring accidents have raised concerns about the non-implementation of the safety standards and rules chalked out by the Federation International Aeronautics (FIA), a world body that governs the airsports around the world. Up in the Solang valley in the tourist corridor of Manali, both the paragliding pilot and the in-tandem flier crashed mid-air due to the strong wind current. Both of them died on the spot after a free-fall a few years ago, recalled the paragliding pilots of the valley. In another accident, two pilots went missing in the Dhauladhar mountain after they took off from the Billing paragliding site, the venue for the pre-world aero games that the Himachal Tourism department conducts in November every year, revealed the pilots. In both cases weather was not ideal for flying, but fliers took the risk and accident occurred. “Nobody takes care of the safety norms like the wind or thermals ideal for flying, the Sun, safety and quality checks of harness that pilots wear and local conditions like terrain and safe landing site, disclosed the paragliding pilots. “It is the duty of the pilot to instruct the first timers about the risks and safety norms before they fly, but these norms are often flouted”. Not only the aero sports, even rafting fans got a shock a few years ago when the four rafters died in the Beas after they lost control of the raft and drowned in the river. As it turned out they were not wearing the crash helmets and life jackets while rafting down the Beas from the Bhuntar in the Kullu valley. Though the adventure sports as such involve the risk, but the tourism department has no mechanism to monitor the sports, register the agents, and check the equipment before they venture into free aero space or river rafting. Those who run the free-flying clubs are in fact the travel agents making the fast buck from the seasonal tourists, revealed the sources in the Mountaineering Institute and Allied Sports, Manali. What is even more surprising is that the Himachal Pradesh is promoting the aerosports through the remote control, a Delhi-based Aero Club of India, which has no stakes in promoting sports among local youth, disclosed the pilots. The free –flying is not only bringing negative publicity for the adventure sports, but the state government is ignoring a potential area that can employ the state’s over five lakh unemployed youth, says the tourism experts. “The travel agents buy paragliders from the foreigners and the next day they start flying for the tourists, said Mr Roshan Thakur, who runs the Himalayan Institute of Adventure in Manali. “The government should employ the trained instructors for all adventure sports like sking, rafting and paragliding to prevent accidents”, he said. But the tourism officials say that accidents are unfortunate and have occurred as a part of the free flying not in any event conducted officially. “We have issued guidelines in 1994 to the ‘free-flying’ organisers. We organise the pre-world cup at Billing every year with the PWCA, France, to promote aerosports in the state”, said Ms Upma Chaudhary, Commissioner, Tourism and Civil Aviation. “We have sought suggestions from the clubs to improve the safety standards and regulate the activity in future”.
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Village remains without water for 20 days Kangra, June 29 The protesting women reached the water works where the submerged pump was out of order, due to which no water was being supplied to the village. The protesting women threatened to intensify their agitation and block the highway tomorrow if the water supply was not restored. Ms Shukuntula Devi, a villager, said the water supply was disrupted 20 days ago but the authorities concerned were mute spectators as people were craving for water. Meanwhile, IPH officials reached the site and assured the agitation women that the water supply would be restored by tomorrow. IPH officials said water was being supplied in the area through water tankers. However, the residents of upper Damaita said water was not being supplied through tankers in their area. They alleged that most of the handpumps in the area were also out of order. The Chief Engineer, IPH, assured that the water supply would be restored by tomorrow. |
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Namgyal Wangchuk enthroned by Dalai Lama Dharamsala, June 29 Besides the Dalai Lama, who blessed him with traditional Tibetan scarves, the ceremony was also attended by Kalon Lobsang Nyandak, who represented the Cabinet of the Tibetan Government-in-exile and Pema Jungney, Chairman of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies. Lhangyari Namgyal Wangchuk bowed in obeisance to the Dalai Lama to seek his blessings and offered the traditional mandala. Massod Butt, press coordinator, Central Tibetan Administration, said the coronation was due as Wangchuk’s father died last year. “But it was decided to hold it now as this is the wood-monkey year, which comes after a gap of 12 years and is considered very auspicious by the Tibetans. King Songtsen Gampo was one of the religious kings of Tibet and the ceremony was held to preserve the lineage,’’ he added. Talking to The Tribune, an official spokesman of the Dalai Lama said Namgyal Wangchuk was a descendent of King Songtsen Gampo, who ruled Tibet in the seventh century. He added that although the boy studies here, his family was based in Dehra Dun. The request for the enthronement ceremony had been made to the Dalai Lama by the family and Lhagyari Phuntsok Dolkar, mother of Namgyal Wangchuk, was also present on the occasion. She thanked the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration for blessing Wangchuk. Although the descendent of the 33rd king does not have much role to play in the Tibetan Government-in-exile, the enthronement of his descendent has historic value, said the spokesman. |
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Mankotia for probe into
Kargil conflict Shimla, June 29 Addressing a press conference here, he said the issue was looked into by a committee headed by Mr K. Subramaniam, which pointed towards critical intelligence and leadership failures. Further, 474 jawans laid down their lives and 1109 were injured in the conflict. The causalties were too high for a limited warfare confined to a small area. This fact had also been pointed out in the report of the committee along with other lapses. However, no indepth probe had been conducted and no action taken on the recommendations of the committee. He had submitted a memorandum to the President in 2000 for setting up a commission of inquiry, but the previous government had turned down the demand. Now that the government had changed, the matter should be probed thoroughly. He urged the Centre to implement the one-rank-one-pension demand and also grant benefits of the Fifth Pay Commission to Army personnel. The Army personnel had been denied these benefits because of the condition of 33 years of minimum service. In the Army, the jawans had to retire after 15 years of service. They should not be denied their due on such an unjust condition, he said. |
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