Chandigarh, July 7
A moderate-to-heavy rainfall lashed many areas in Himachal Pradesh, including mid and lower hills, triggering landslides in the state. Some areas in Kangra, Sirmour and Shimla districts reported a heavy rainfall.

All rivers, including the Beas, Sutlej and the Ravi and their tributaries flowing through the state were in spate. A downpour pounded Nahan, turning the town as the wettest place in the state, recording 69mm of rainfall.

A downpour also lashed Shimla and its adjoining areas with the capital town receiving 36.2 mm of rainfall overnight. Upper areas of Shimla district, including the tourist places of Wildflower Hall, Kufri, Naldehra and Narkanda, also had rain, forcing tourists to stay indoors. Rampur, Suni, Guler, Nagrota Surian, Sundernagar, Solan, Dharamsala and Pandoh also experienced a moderate rainfall.

The Met Office has predicted moderate-to heavy rainfall or thundershowers at many places in Himachal Pradesh during the next 24 hours.

Nurpur: Vehicular traffic on the Kandwal- Bhadroya link road to Punjab remained suspended for about three hours following damage to the supporting wall of a small bridge owing to a downpour on Monday. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on the road causing a lot of inconvenience to the commuters and other passengers.

This link road is providing an alternative approach road to the Pathankot- Mandi national highway No 20 on which road connectivity had been snapped following the washing away of the causeway (embankment) to the temporary diversion bridge on the Chakki rivulet built by the state government in January this year.

SDO Kapil Dev said the PWD would repair the damaged bridge on Tuesday. — UNI, OC

Shimla, July 7
There is still no final word on the Jangi-Thopan and the Thopan-Powari projects allotted to the Brakel Corporation as the Cabinet today decided to serve a fresh show-cause notice on the company.

The government made it clear that the projects, if cancelled, would be re-advertised and fresh global bids would be invited. The move was likely to dishearten the Reliance Energy that had moved the high court for the cancellation of these projects. Perhaps, the company was hoping that the projects would be allotted to it for being the next highest bidder for these. The company had also offered to hike its bid to match that of the Brakel Corporation.

As per the decision of the Cabinet, the Brakel Corporation will be asked to explain as to why the allotment of these projects be not cancelled and the upfront premium deposited by it forfeited for misrepresenting and giving wrong information to the government with regard to its financial and technical competence. The Cabinet also decided that the Vigilance inquiry into the matter would continue.

It was also decided to implement state bio-carbon afforestation project in collaboration with the World Bank, local communities and gram panchayats with a view to generating carbon credits. A subcommittee would be constituted to recommend the mode to be adopted for empowering supervision of educational institutions up to middle standard by the respective gram panchayats, high and senior secondary schools by the respective panchayat samitis and zila parishads.

The Cabinet also sanctioned 2,002 posts in different departments and approved the draft development plan for Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh special area and a housing scheme for the industrial workforce.

It approved the creation of a separate zone for the Irrigation and Public Health Department for Hamirpur. 

Mandi, July 7
De-silting of the balancing reservoir of the 990-MW BSL project by the the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has spelled doom for the farmers of Balh valley. The silt removed from the reservoir flows into the Suketi Khad which spoils the crops in Balh valley. The aquatic life in the khad has also come to end.

The board has to take out 1,070 acre feet silt from the reservoir for which it has deployed three dredgers. As the silt flows into the Suketi Khad, its water has turned muddy over the past couple of days.

Ravi Rana, a farmer from Ner Chowk, said, “We did not grow tomato crop this year as the silt had entered our fields last year and destroyed the crop. This year, we have sown maize, but we fear silt will destroy the crop as soon as the discharge in the khud increases in the coming days.”

The BBMB started dumping silt into the Suketi Khud in 1990s when the Beas-Sutlej Link (BSL) project was initiated.

“Silt starts piling up in the fields along the Suketi course as soon as the water flow decreases,” rued farmers Chaman Lal and Hardev Saini. When the discharge in the river is high, silt floods the fields, thus destroying the prospects of good crop, they complained.

They got little compensation for the losses suffered by them, they alleged.

BBMB chief engineers H.S. Rathi said, “They dredge out over 1,070 acre feet silt from the reservoir on the directions of the high court every year. Compensation is paid to the farmers after the district administration takes up the matter with the BBMB.”

Mandi ADM B.S. Dehal said, “Farmers get compensation as and when their crops are damaged due to silt dredged out by the BBMB. We get field report every year and ask the BBMB to pay compensation. We also conduct inspections to check illegal mining.”

Solan, July 7
Nalagarh SHO K.D.Khan was placed under suspension today and attached to the Police Lines, Solan, by Solan SP S.P.S.Verma after the Shimla police booked him in a case for criminal conspiracy, forgery, receiving a stolen property dishonestly and causing disappearance of evidence.

This case, registered at Boileuganj police station in Shimla, pertained to a Qualis (HP-63-2559) brought here from Bharuch district of Gujarat. Khan had brought this vehicle on the pretext of comparing its engine and chassi numbers with that of a stolen vehicle from Shimla which belonged to a former Congress minister.

Though the details of this Qualis did not match with the stolen vehicle Khan did not surrender this vehicle to the police but got it registered under his own name at Shimla. Inquires from the RTO office, Shimla, revealed that he had furnished an NoC from Rajasthan and he has produced an official address showing his residence at Kasumpti for getting it registered at Shimla. The police was now verifying how this NoC had been procured and whether it was fake or genuine.

Sources said Khan who was posted at the Police Lines, Solan, was part of the team which had gone to trace scores of missing vehicles in Gujarat in 2006. As per information gathered by the Solan police in 2006, Attabhai, a Godhra carnage accused, was a member of a gang of vehicle thieves.

This gang which operated in various states used to steal luxury vehicles which were used for their nefarious activities.

This Qualis was an unclaimed vehicle Khan allegedly got after confronting AttaBhai. The then additional SP, Mr Virender Kanwar, said:

“Khan had informed us about having recovered such a vehicle and he had then brought this vehicle to Solan to compare its engine and chassi numbers with the stolen vehicles. But they had not matched with the numbers of any stolen vehicle.”

Ideally, such a vehicle should have been in police custody as it becomes a case property, confided police officers. But instead of doing so, Khan got it registered at Shimla by producing a fake NoC from Rajasthan.

The vehicle was allegedly being used by his family at Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district, confided police officials. The police was now looking for the Qualis, which disappeared a few days before the registration of this case.

Shimla, July 7
Even as demonstrations are being held seeking the arrest of the owner of Virgo Metallic Appliances, the police will issue his arrest warrants in case he does not join investigation by tomorrow.

CITU activists held a demonstration in Shoghi today, demanding immediate arrest of R.S. Malhotra, owner of the company, where one worker was killed after security guards hired by the management opened fire.

The activists burnt the effigies of the owner and manager of the factory for exploiting workers. CITU president Ravinder Kumar said even now the genuine demands of the workers at the factory had not been fulfilled. No compensation had yet been given by the factory management to the family of the deceased. Meanwhile, the police has decided to issue arrest warrants against Malhotra if he does not join investigations by tomorrow. A team is likely to be sent to Mumbai, where he is based, even though his staff have told the police that he was out of India. The name of Malhotra also figures in the FIR.

The police teams sent to Bihar and UP to verify the antecedents of the five shooters who had opened fire at the protesting workers are yet to return. Since the weapons have been issued in their personal names and not in the name of the company, the police is keen to know the past record of these people.

Shimla, July 7
Having been constituted two months ago to look into complaints of misuse of official position, the special investigation team (SIT) has disposed of most of the cases with FIRs being registered in 22 of the 77 complaints received by it.

The SIT had been constituted under the overall supervision of D.S.Minhas, ADGP (CID) and IGP (CID) O.C. Thakur. The maximum number of 31 complaints had been received in Shimla district, followed by 12 in Kangra after the BJP assumed power.

O.C. Thakur, IGP (CID), informed today that the SIT had disposed of almost all complaints in a record period of two months. The SIT did not entertain eight anonymous complaints received in Shimla district.

While no criminal case could be made in 30 cases, investigation in 17 cases were still pending. In two cases, departmental action had been recommended. Out of the 22 cases in which FIRs have been registered, two cases had been referred to the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SC and ACB) for further action.

The investigations are likely to be finalised before September 30 as all cases are based on documentary evidence. In 22 cases, FIRs have been registered. The investigations are being supervised by DSPs.

Most of the complaints looked into by the SIT pertained to connivance and misuse of official position by revenue, forest, cooperative, anganwari selections and wrong allotment of shops under the SC and ST quota. It also looked into cases of misappropriation and embezzlement of gram panchayat funds and wrong allotment of government and forest land as malkiyats with the criminal conspiracy of revenue and forest officials.

Nurpur, July 7
An inquiry conducted by the block development officer has brought new facts to light in the alleged manipulation in the anganwari appointments last year here.

The probe was conducted on the complaint and legal notice by Som Raj, resident of Dhaneti Garlan village, whose wife was deprived of the rural appointment due to issuance of false family register copies of the gram panchayat.

The complainant had issued legal notice to the Kangra deputy commissioner and Nurpur BDO under Section 80 of the CPC on February 2.

He had alleged that his avocation was recorded in the panchayat family register, during 2005-2006, as a casual labour. But the avocation was changed in 2007 and he was wrongly shown as running a welding shop.

The alleged false change in his avocation deprived his wife of the appointment.

According to the inquiry report of the Nurpur BDO, taken through the Right of Information Act, the BDO had conducted an inquiry in the panchayat office on June 25, 2007, and found that the panchayat’s family register had been tampered with.

The report also vindicated that false register copies were issued by tampering with the record.

Som Raj today submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal demanding an action against the guilty panchayat assistant, who had allegedly tampered with the panchayat record, and revocation of appointments made on the basis of false panchayat record. 

Shimla, July 7
Availability of ordinary diesel at petrol pumps was reviewed at a meeting here today by R.S. Gupta, director, food and civil supplies, in view of the complaints being received that only premium brands were being sold at outlets, which are costlier than ordinary petroleum products.

He directed the officers to ensure that ordinary diesel and petrol were available at every petrol pump all the time.

Gupta said no directions had been issued by the Government of India or petroleum companies regarding the sale of only premium brands at petrol pumps. The availability of ordinary petrol should be ensured at all petrol pumps for the convenience of consumers. He further said if any petrol pump had capacity for additional storage, it could sell premium petrol to the consumers as an additional facility. 

Shimla, July 7
The Himalayan Literature Culture and Environment Protection Forum has urged the government to issue a commemorative postal stamp to mark the 125th birth anniversary of renowned Hindi litterateur Chandra Dhar Sharma Guleri.

The forum which organised a special meeting to mark the birth anniversary today, expressed concern over the failure of the government to enhance the cash reward for the Guleri Rajya Samman given to writers for outstanding contribution, despite repeated announcements. It demanded that the cash reward should be increased to 
Rs 1 lakh.

It also urged the government to name the art gallery being set up in Gaiety Theatre after Guleri and writers would be provided space in it for intellectual discourse as there was no place for them in the state capital. 

Shimla, July 7
After failing to attract specialist doctors, the state government is forced to bring changes in the norms for the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in view of state specific conditions.

Instead of declaring every CHC as a FRU, the government is of the opinion that it is done on the basis of the population that is fed by a particular health institution.

It should not be mandatory to declare only a CHC as an FRU and even sub-divisional hospitals or district hospitals should be accorded this status.

“The state will request the union ministry of health to give approval for declaring FRUs on the basis of the population that a health institution is catering to,” said a senior official.

Sources in the Health Department said the union ministry was liberal about allowing such state specific changes.

The officials said in certain remote areas like Dodra Kawar, a CHC catered to a population of 7,000 persons while as per the norms of NRHM, an FRU must cater to a population of 1.20 lakh.

According to the state government, in a state of shortage of doctors, there was no point of posting six doctors at an FRU that catered to a small population.

“Since Rs 40 lakh is given for improving the infrastructure and staff at the FRU, it would be advisable to spend the amount on sub- divisional hospitals like Palampur and Sundernagar, where there is a great patient burden and less facilities,” said an officer.

As many as 36 CHCs in the state have been declared as FRUs, but due to shortage of specialists only 10 of them have been made fully functional. The government has been re-advertising for the posts of specialists and MBBS doctors time and again, but there have been no takers.

Now, the department is inviting applications from 200 MD and MBBS doctors with attractive pay packages and additional allowances like the hard area and hill area allowance. 

Sundernagar, July 7
The Consumer Forum, Mandi, has directed Saluja Motors, Gutkar, (dealer of Ford) and its service manger to pay Rs 337 along with a compensation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 towards the cost of litigation to a customer, who was wrongly charged for the repair of his car during warranty period.

Suresh Thakur of Naulka (Sundernagar) had purchased a Ford Ikon car from Saluja Motors on April 13, 2007. There was one-year warranty on the vehicle. The car was taken to the dealer on January 2, 2008, with a complaint of reduced average. A minor repair was conducted and the complainant was asked to pay Rs 337 for the same.

Suresh objected to it saying the vehicle was under warranty. His argument did not cut much ice with the dealer and he was forced to pay the bill.

Later, Suresh approached the Consumer Forum. The dealer maintained the wiring harness of manifold assembly of the consumer’s car was damaged by rats and its repair was not covered under the warranty provisions.

However, an expert opined that the wiring harness had a strong PVC protection and there was no merit in the statement that it was damaged by rodents.

The forum observed that the complainant was wrongly charged for repair work and directed the dealer and its service manager to compensate him.

Nahan, July 7
A 35-year-old married woman has lodged a complaint with the police that she was raped by two local residents last evening. A case has been registered under Section 376. One of the accused has been arrested while the second one is on the run.

The complainant has alleged that she had gone for a stroll when she was overpowered by the two persons and taken to a nearby forest on Nauni Ka Bagh footpath and raped. She has identified one of the accused.

The Sirmaur ASP said the police had arrested Ram Singh (30) of Govind Garh Mohalla in connection with the case. He was produced in a local court today where he was remanded in police custody for four days. Efforts were on to arrest the second accused, the ASP said.

Mandi, July 7
Gurmeet Kaur, judicial magistrate, today issued an order directing the Balh SHO to investigate the MMS case involving Dalit woman Gudi Devi and asked him to submit his report to the court on August 11.

Gudi Devi today moved the complaint charging Harish Kumar, accused in the MMS case under 376, IPC (rape), and section 3 of the Atrocities Act (the MMS victim is a Dalit) in the court here. The police arrested Harish Thakur, a school teacher, under the IT Act last month but he was bailed out. He has been put under suspension after his arrest in the MMS case.