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Elementary education directorate okayed
BJP demands White Paper on price rise
Virbhadra intimidating employees, says Dhumal
Shimla to get new helipad
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Funds sanctioned for Kangra auditorium
Election to college student body cancelled
Direct contest for students’ union poll
Bathu bridge opened for light vehicles
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Elementary education directorate okayed
Shimla, August 18 Additional relief amounting to Rs 1.9 crore will be distributed on the basis of the report of Justice Nanavati Commission and as recommended by the Government of India. The government had constituted a state-level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary which approved the claims of victims. As per the official record one death was reported from all over the state and the deceased was from Kulu district. The affected family will be given Rs 3.5 lakh as ex gratia amount. This is in addition to the amount already paid by the state government. In Mandi division 202 families were affected followed by 95 families in Kangra and 29 families in Shimla division. The state paid Rs 21,07,138 to the 326 affected families soon after the riots. All these families have been covered under the relief package. The additional amount will be paid by the Deputy Commissioners concerned. As per the proposal approved for restructuring of the education department to create a new directorate of elementary education, the number of middle schools will go up from the existing 2,195 to 3,864 to which 6,759 primary schools will be attached. As a result of the restructuring into Elementary and Higher Education directorates 2,692 new posts of headmaster will be created in the pay scale of Rs 6,400-Rs 10,640. They will be designated as Junior Headmasters. The existing 1,172 posts of headmaster shall continue and re-designated as Senior Headmasters. As many as 117 Senior Block Elementary Education Officers’ posts in the pay scale of Rs 7,880-11,660 will be created in addition to these. Besides, this 117 posts of Superintendents (Grade I and II), one post of private secretary and nine posts of Section Officers (SAS) will also be created. The post of Senior Headmasters will be filled from among the TGTs, C and V and Centre Head Teacher categories. The promotion avenues available to all categories of teachers will be retained till such time as these cadres existed. In future a new cadre of Elementary Trained Teachers will be created. The Cabinet approved a rate of Rs 5 per quintal as export fee for the supply of the dried pine needles from the government forests. According to an estimate 1.6 lakh tonnes of dried pine needle litter is available annually for export. The local gram panchayats would be empowered to negotiate the sale of the dried pine needles within their jurisdiction to the private parties and issue export permits at their own level while the rights of the local people in the respective forests would be protected. The Cabinet decided to create an endowment fund of Rs 12.5 crore in the first instance for ‘‘puja archana’’, upkeep and other miscellaneous activities of village temples which had lost source of income after the temple lands were vested in the tenants during the implementation of land reforms. The policy approved for the setting up of the Mobile Communication Towers makes it mandatory to take permission of the land owner and local bodies for raising any structure, including mobile towers. The tower owners would be required to pay a reasonable fee to the appropriate bodies. In Shimla Municipal Corporation and the adjoining Special Area Development Area the one time installation fee will be Rs 20,000 per tower and the annual renewal fee would be Rs 10,000 per tower. For other urban areas one time installation fee will be Rs 10,000 and the annual renewal fee Rs 5,000 and in rural tribal and difficult areas it will be Rs 4,000 and Rs 2,000, respectively. The Cabinet decided to constitute a committee for encroachment policy. The committee will be headed by the Chief Secretary and will have Financial Commissioner Revenue, Principal Secretary Law and Principal Secretary Forests as its members. It would submit report at the earliest to the Cabinet sub committee. After taking its view on the same it will be put up to the Cabinet for final implementation. The Cabinet also approved amendment to the Punjab Police Rules, 1934, (as applicable in Himachal Pradesh) empowering non-gazetted officer not below the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector to investigate cases of heinous crimes to bring more efficiency in the investigation process and to improve the rate of conviction. The Cabinet approved the draft rules of the Ravi Watershed Development and Beas Watershed Development Societies for the implementation of the Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plans and compensatory afforestation schemes in Kulu and Chamba districts. The Cabinet approved amendment to the Rules of Recruitment and Promotion of the Range Officers to increase the upper age limit for direct recruitment from the existing 26 years to 31 years. It also approved the filling of 129 posts of firemen in the Department of Civil Defence and 26 posts of Mining Guards in the Industries Department.
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Funds sanctioned for Kangra auditorium
Kangra, August 18 The Director of Technical Education, Mr K.R Bharti, today told The Tribune that following a report published in the newspaper he had taken up the matter with the Principal of the Polytechnic College, Mr H.K Bhatti, and had sought a report in this connection. He said he had assured the Principal that the funds would not be a hindrance in the proper maintenance of the Rs 1 crore multi-purpose hall on the college premises. Mr Bharti said he had directed the Principal of the Polytechnic College to submit an estimate of funds required for its repair and maintenance.
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BJP demands White Paper on price rise
Shimla, August 18 In a statement issued here, the state BJP spokesperson and MLA, Dr Rajiv
Bindal, said it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had made such adverse remarks about the
RSS. “Till date only those employees have faced the wrath of the government who are even remotely associated with the
RSS, the Rashtriya Mazdoor Sangh or the BJP,” he said. He alleged that on the other hand the government was shielding corrupt officials and rewarding them. “The Chief Minister seems to be making such remarks about the RSS only to divert the attention of the public from the burning issues concerning the state and its people,” he remarked. He demanded that the state government should reveal the plan it had prepared to get Himachal Pradesh its share of 7.19 per cent under the Reorganisation Act, 1966, and how it intended implementing it.
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Virbhadra intimidating employees, says Dhumal
Nurpur, August 18 Addressing mediapersons at Dehra yesterday, Mr Dhumal said the RSS had neither been banned nor it was an anti-national organisation. “Even in a disputed case, the Supreme Court has averred that the RSS was a cultural and social organisation and there is nothing illegal of becoming its member,” he added. He said the CM was committing contempt of court by issuing such threats to employees.
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Shimla to get new helipad
Shimla, August 18 The Tourism Department has already written to the Deputy Commissioner to identify suitable land within a radius of 2 to 3 km from the city. Shimla already has two helipads, besides the Jabbar Hatti airport. However, they are not suitable for operating flights for tourists, particularly the heli-taxis which are to be operated by private operators. The government wanted to use the Kalyani helipad — constructed especially for VVIPs — atop the Chharabra hills, at an altitude of 8,250 ft, to be opened for commercial use to promote high-end tourism. But the Centre refused permission for security reasons. The helipad is located adjoining the Presidential Retreat, where VVIPs stay during their visit here. The initiative to get the helipad opened for high-spending tourists was taken by the Oberoi Group, which has its hotel, the Wildflower Hall Resort, close by. Annandale helipad which is used by government for operating its leased helicopter is under the control of the Army, while the airport is located 28 km away which takes more than an hour’s drive from the capital city to reach. It is not suitable for joy rides for tourists — an essential component for the viability of
heli-taxis. The tourism department plans to operate heli-taxis on Delhi-Shimla and Chandigarh-Shimla routes for which a regular base will be required. The site had to be close to the city and also free from traffic hazards so that joy rides to snow-clad peaks could be smoothly operated. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had, during his visit to the state last year, announced that the Centre would provide funding for three helicopters.
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Election to college student body cancelled
Nurpur, August 18 Tension intensified last evening when the SCA’s election returning officer-cum-principal declared the cancellation of election to the SCA by exercising powers under clause 14 of the constitution of the college SCA in which the election process could be scrapped due to threat to peace. Members of the ABVP and the ASS under the leadership of former local MLA Rakesh Pathania gheraoed the college principal in his office yesterday evening and had hot exchanges with him for scrapping the election process. They termed it an anti-student and undemocratic act. The college administration declared today as a non-teaching day due to threat to peace after yesterday’s episode. The irate members of the ABVP and the ASS held a demonstration outside the college premises and marched in procession raising slogans against the college management from the college to the SDM’s court. The police has registered a case under Sections 452, 147 and 149 of the IPC against two NSUI activists Vivek and Vishal allegedly for criminal trespass, snatching and tearing of nomination papers filed by other student organisations.
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Bathu bridge opened for light vehicles
Kangra, August 18 Mr S.K. Nag, Executive Engineer, National Highway, said hundreds of light vehicles, most of them tourist vehicles, were allowed to cross the reconstructed bridge. He said in the third phase the buses would be allowed to pass on this bridge on August 25. He said that heavy trucks would be allowed to cross the bridge on August 31. The damaged pillar on the one side of the bridge was reconstructed and an RCC slab was laid to repair the damage. Meanwhile, National Highway-88 connecting the Kangra valley with rest of the country and the state capital remained closed for the sixth day today following a huge landslide at Baner on the outskirts of Kangra town.
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Direct contest for students’ union poll
Nalagarh, August 18 The poll issues making the rounds are lack of staff and infrastructure, starting of new courses and free travelling facilities to students. The main fight is between the NSUI and the ABVP. Both students’ wings have dominated the college poll in the past years. The ABVP has remained winner on all four seats of the SCA from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, the NSUI broke into the ABVP hold, making a clean sweep on all four seats. However, the ABVP returned with a bang the following year, emerging winner on three seats. The NSUI could manage only one seat. Last year, both parties shared two seats each. Both students’ wings announced their panel on Monday. |
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