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Privilege move against 2 IAS
BSNL “victimises” consumer
Heated exchanges on paper leak issue
ITBP move not to post men above 45 on BOP duty
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HPSEB in acute shortage of engineers
ABVP refutes govt claim on poll
Major part of horticulture mission funds not utilised
Wild bear kills girl in village
House adjourned to mourn Bismillah Khan’s death
20 injured as bus overturns
President’s Medal
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Privilege move against 2 IAS officers dropped
Shimla, August 21 It is the contentious issue of use of beacon lights by MLAs atop their vehicles, which had irked the legislators who held the two officials responsible for placing them in category D of the list of persons entitled to use red light. While all dignitaries using flags on their vehicles were placed in categories A, B and C along with other officials, the MLAs were placed in category D. The resolution for privilege motion given by 29 MLAs on July 21, 2006, was dropped as the Chief Secretary intimated the Speaker through his letter on August 8 that the two officers had tendered an unqualified apology if their action had hurt the sentiments of the legislators. While Mr Avay Shukla is presently holding the charge of Principal Secretary, Transport, Mr V.C. Pharka is Secretary, GAD. It was probably for the first time that the MLAs cutting across party lines got together on the issue and decided to move a resolution for a breach of the privilege against the two officers. The two-page letter by the Chief Secretary also gives details of the reasons for placing the MLAs in category D and the notifications issued later, which now places them at number 12 of category A after Members of Parliament (MPs). The letter says that after the controversy due to the filing of a public interest litigation in the High Court, the government has amended the Motor Vehicles Rules, 1998, and deleted Rules 169 and 170, according to which only those using a flag can use red lights atop their vehicles. These notifications were issued on July, 29 and August 8. The letter also states that the categorisation of various dignitaries and officials who are entitled to use red lights has no connection with status or privilege and is purely based on legal distinction made in Rule 107 of the HP Motor Vehicles Rules, 1998. It has been clearly mentioned that only those dignitaries who are entitled to flag on their vehicles can be allowed to use red lights and since the MLAs have no flag, strictly speaking, they are not entitled to use red lights. “However, the government in the past allowed the legislators to use red lights on their vehicles through executive orders and categories A, B and C are entitled to use flags, while category D, in which MLAs were placed, is of persons who are not allowed use of flags,” the letter reads.
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BSNL “victimises” consumer
Solan, August 21 The case pertains to a WLL phone no 203089, which was issued under the name of Aditya Sharma as per the BSNL records. Though Aditya Sharma never availed of such a phone, his father said fake documents were affixed with the BSNL records. This included a fake ration card, though his name is still not entered in the ration card possessed by the family. Interestingly, a photo copy of his photo has been affixed with the form as also a copy of a fake election identity card, bank account number of some Joginder and incorrect residential address. It was through a notice received by Aditya's father
D.C. Sharma in July this year that he learnt of this fraud. He immediately inquired from the BSNL officials and also submitted an affidavit, claiming that his son had never availed of any such WLL phone. Fearing tampering of records, Mr Sharma then sought information under the Right to Information Act to be provided about the whole episode on July 24. He is yet to receive any information in this regard. Terming the BSNL's action as totally illegal and immoral, Mr Sharma has now written a letter to the Union Telecom Minister to look into the matter. He further said that he would sue the department for Rs 25 lakh if the matter was not settled within a week. Officials of the BSNL, while refusing to comment, said the connivance of officials was not
ruled out. They did not elaborate further, as the GM was not available for comments.
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Heated exchanges on paper leak issue
Shimla, August 21 A discussion on the matter was raised under rule 130 jointly by Mr Harsh Wardhan (Congress) and Mr P.K. Dhumal, leader of the BJP legislative party. Mr Dhumal trained his guns on Vice-Chancellor, Dr L.R. Verma, who not only failed to take prompt and right action when the reports of question paper leakage surfaced. He flatly refused to order any inquiry in the matter and continued to defend the university even after the three-member inquiry committee set up by the high court gave a report that the question paper had been leaked. It was the local Congress MLA, Mr Harbhajan Singh, who first brought the matter to the notice of the authorities on May 23 just three days before the examination. Had the university taken proper action taken at that time and cancelled the examination as was done in Punjab the students and parents would have been spared this ordeal. He said it was surprising that a professor gave statement in the court that questions of physics and mathematics could be solved without doing any rough work. The court took the opinion of expert from the National Institute of Technology who gave the opinion that even professors could not solve such questions without rough work. He said the court gave three days to the university to take a decision after receiving the inquiry report but instead of cancelling the examination it left the matter to the court. Mr Dhumal said while out of 34 untainted candidates in the merit list, 14 had cleared various other medical entrance examinations, whereas none of the 38 tainted candidates could pass any other examination. Angry exchanges were witnessed when Mr Dhumal said that the tainted candidates found place in the merit list due to government's inaction which infuriated Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, who immediately retaliated by citing the conviction of the Mr S.M. Katwal, a former chairman of the state subordinate services selection board, in the recruitment scam during the BJP regime. Initiating the discussion, Mr Harsh Wardhan said the question paper could not be cancelled merely on the basis of rumours. There was no concrete evidence of leakage and a clear picture started emerging only after the result of the examination was declared. He said the government never defended the university or those involved and the Chief Minister had given clear instructions to the committee of police officers to get to truth irrespective of the fact who was behind the scam. He said an organised racket was active and question papers of Punjab, Uttaranchal and some other states had also been leaked. He wanted to know whether the university was still following the system of setting three question papers for an examination to meet such exigencies. He said stringent action should be taken against the guilty officers if the university was found at fault. The discussion will continue tomorrow. Earlier, Mr G.R. Musafir, the Speaker, rejected the adjournment motions of Mr K.D. Dharmani, Mr Jai Ram Thakur and Mr Vikram (all of the BJP) who wanted immediate discussion on the issue of price rise. The motions were disallowed on the ground that a discussion on the issue had been listed in the agenda for the day.
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ITBP move not to post men above 45 on BOP duty
Reckong Peo, August 21 This has been decided in principle by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and directions have been issued to the ITBPF headquarters to identify soldiers above the age of 45 years. Confirming this, sources in the ITBPF here revealed that the aged soldiers would soon be deployed only on alternative duties of monitoring and administration at the base camps, once all formalities were completed at the higher level. A recent survey by the Home Ministry disclosed severe health problems being faced by aged soldiers serving on high altitudes for a longer duration. The major health problem that came out from the survey is related to the respiratory system that affects work efficiency of a person in the areas where oxygen content in the atmosphere is low. A special team of the ministry also visited the border areas of Kinnaur recently and analysed the health problems being faced by the aged soldiers on the BOPs at high altitudes. The working conditions of the soldiers posted on high altitudes in harsh weather conditions were also reviewed by the special team of the ministry. The team also interacted with the soldiers, besides, the officials to know their views on the problems faced by them, revealed the sources. It was found in the survey that the response time of the aged soldiers to the demanding situations was comparatively less than their younger counterparts, which indirectly affected the overall efficiency of the team. Total strength of the ITBPF is close to 26,000 men and the estimated figure of soldiers/officials above the age group of 45 years could touch around 7,500 personnel. Experts were of the view that this move of the ministry would improve overall efficiency of the force and help raise confidence among aged soldiers.
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HPSEB in acute shortage of engineers
Mandi, August 21 As a result, it has stopped promotional avenues for the board's engineers and employment of over 300 engineers, who graduate every year in the state, revealed insiders. Even as the state government has approved over 50 posts of engineers in the board recently, but the government has not recruited even 50 per cent of the staff required at all levels to carry out the work for these projects, revealed insiders. The board needs a bare minimum of 300 engineers to carry out work in the projects. Also the three major hydro power players— Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which runs the 1500 MW Nathapa Jhakhri project in Kinnaur; National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) which is executing the 800 MW Kol dam project in Mandi-Bilaspur district; and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) which is executing the 2051 MW Parbati project in Kulu district— are also not taking engineers from the board or fresh graduates from the state. The government has awarded the 402 MW Shongtong-Karcham project on the Sutlej river, 100 MW Sainj on the Sainj river, 100 MW Uhl on the Uhal river, 166 MW Kashang on
the Sutlej and 110MW Sawra-Kurdu on the Pabbar river to HPSEB, but as a result of the shortage of staff, the work on the projects is not picking up and engineers are getting disillusioned with the board's recruitment and promotion policy, revealed members of the power engineers association. "All pleas of proper recruitment and promotion has fallen on deaf ears," they rued. The recruitment has been stopped since 2001-02. Sources disclosed that the board has over 228 engineers, including diploma holders, many of them heading for retirement. But the recruitment and promotion policy remains vague as the board is promoting diploma holders, who became SDOs in 2001, while degree holders who were SDOs since 1989 have not been promoted so far, they complained. The frustration among board engineers is brewing up as the
SJVN, NTPC and NHPC are not adhering to the equivalence criterion in recruitment. Both the Power Minister Vidya Stokes and HPSEB Chairman Kanwar Shamsher Singh at a recent meeting had highlighted the shortage of engineers faced by he board and urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to look into the problem.
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ABVP refutes govt claim on poll
Nurpur, August 21 Mr Tek Singh Thakur, organising secretary of ABVP units of Kangra and Chamba districts, in a statement here yesterday alleged that the government was claiming the victory of the NSUI out of frustration. He said Himachal Pradesh University had not notified the SCA election for 15 colleges which had started functioning in the current session. Claiming an upper hand in the SCA poll, Mr Thakur alleged the government had committed an undemocratic act by imposing Section 144 on the premises of colleges during the ongoing process of the elections. The ABVP leader informed the organisation would intensify the stir if the police failed to arrest NSUI activists against whom a case had been registered for snatching of nomination papers along with supporting documents and creating hooliganism during the time of filing of nominations in the local Arya Government College.
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Major part of horticulture mission funds not utilised
Solan, August 21 The mission, which has a budget of Rs 80 crore, has failed to utilise more than half the amount, with seven months remaining for its completion. Announced in 2003-04 by then Union minister Rajnath Singh under the Tenth Five-Year Plan, it was aimed to bring about an overall development of the sector. Facilities were to be provided to farmers for research and development, production and productivity, fruit preservation and marketing and export promotion. The Horticulture Department could spend only Rs 6.5 crore in 2003-04. This amount rose to Rs 13 crore in 2004-05 while it was Rs 11 crore in 2005-06. The department had now demanded Rs 20.8 crore for the current financial year, which would lapse if not utilised by March next.
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Wild bear kills girl in village
Chamba, August 21 In an incident at Guanala village in Bhattiyat tehsil, a wild bear attacked and killed an 11-year-old girl, Seema, in the maize field. According to a report received here today, the bear assaulted the girl when she was playing in the fields. She cried for help, but unfortunately there was none to save her. Later when her father, Kartar Singh, along with villagers, started searching her, Seema’s body was found in the fields. Panic has gripped the village and the residents demanded that the Forest Department should either keep the wild beasts away from the fields or permit them to shoot the man-eating beasts, the report said.
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House adjourned to mourn Bismillah Khan’s death
Shimla, August 21 Immediately after the House assembled for the post lunch session, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, said the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had been adjourned to show respect to the great musician and a national mourning would be observed for three days. He said it would be appropriate that the House also followed suit. Thereafter, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, the Speaker , adjourned the House and said the discussion on medical entrance test question paper leak, which was underway, would be concluded tomorrow along with the discussion on price rise. Earlier, the House paid homage to Dr Suraj Bhan, a former Governor, Mr
K.D. Sultan Puri, a former MP and MLA, and Mr Jeewnu Ram , a former MLA, who passed away recently.
— TNS
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20 injured as bus overturns
Chamba, August 21 According to passengers, the bus, carrying 35 passengers, rolled down into the fields when it was giving way to a car to cross. A medical team reached the accident site. Those who had received minor injuries were discharged on the spot after giving them first-aid. Ten passengers were rushed to the District Hospital for medical treatment and were stated to be out of danger.
OC
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President’s Medal
Shimla, August 21 Mr Jai Pal Singh, Additional SP, Shimla, Mr Bakshi Ram, Inspector in the IInd Indian Reserve Battalion, Mr Dhabe Ram, Sub-Inspector in Mandi, and Mr Bhagwan Dass, Sub-Inspector, Chief Minister Security, have been selected for the Police Medal.
— TNS |
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