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Ragging Death
Ragging Case |
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Foreign experts all praise for Manali avalanche centre
(Left to right): Dr RN Sarwade, director, SASE, Dr Magnus Mar
Magnusson (secretary-general) of the International Glaciological Society (UK), Dr Eric
Brune, director, de la Recherche, France and Dr Prahlada, chief controller (R&D), service interaction, DRDO Headquarters, New Delhi, speaking to newsmen on the concluding day of the symposium at SASE complex, about 4 km from
Manali, on Friday. Photo: MC Thakur
No avalanche forewarning system in tribal areas
Forest cover dwindles despite green felling ban
Cong puts up united show
Environment yet to become important issue: Bahuguna
Kaul accuses CM of violating poll code
St Edward’s prepares to welcome Ansari
Vote for a strong govt: CM
Insurance Co told to pay Rs 20,000
Suhi Fair begins
Chief Engineer held for graft
Summer festival ends
Don’t give land for cement plant: Bahuguna
Congress leader dies
1 killed in mishap
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Staff shortage diagnosed as main ailment: panel
Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, April 10 The members of the committee while talking to newsmen at Dharamsala today evening said had their being more permanent staff in the Tanda medical college, the incident could have been prevented. The college has seen 15 principal in its past 12 years of existence. There is lack of permanent staff and ad hoc policies are prevailing. They said they had observed that the Raghavan committee recommendations were not implemented in the college. There were policy failures, however, the secretary, health, has assured that remedial steps were being taken. The team members showered praise on secretary, health, Deepak Shanan describing him as ‘visionary, young and dynamic’. The secretary, health, adding to the facts said that in the past two months 50 per cent staff strength had been added to the college. Interestingly, while the magisterial inquiry into the incident had reported many cases of ragging in the college, the members of Raghavan committee said no students of the college reported ragging to them. The members of the committee also appeared to be soft towards the former principal of the college Dr Suresh Sankhayan who is now under suspension. While replying to a query the members said that certain students had approached them in favour of Dr Sankhayan. The views of the students have to be taken into consideration as it is for them that the institute was being run. The members also said that they had noticed many drawbacks in the hostels. Though they would like to ideal with the situation, it depends on what the state government can provide. When asked about the medical negligence on the part of Tanda medical college teachers that led to death of Aman Kachroo, the members said that the MCI team had already probed the facts. It is for the state government to act on the report. The three-member team- Dr AK Aggarwal, Dr Rajindra Prasad and Tanvir Aizad- would be submitting their report to Raghavan who is heading the committee.
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Judicial custody of accused extended till April 23
Our Correspondent
Kangra, April 10 The four students Dr Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma were facing murder charge under Section 302, IPC. Dr Ajay and Naveen were arrested by the Kangra police following a ragging complaint lodged by the principal of the college, Dr Suresh Sankhyan, on March 8, the day Aman died in the DRPGMC hospital. The other two accused Mukul and Abhinav surrendered before the District and Sessions Judge at Dharamshala, on March 10. On April 1, all accused medical students were remanded to Judicial custody for 10 days till April 10 and they were produced before the court today. Pankaj Dhiman, public prosecutor said all accused would be produced before the court again on April 23.
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Foreign experts all praise for Manali avalanche centre
Manali, April 10 He was speaking at the SASE, headquarters, 4 km from here, during the concluding session of the five-day international symposium. He said the scientists were impressed with the set-up of the SASE campus as well as the equipment and systems installed there. Dr
Prahlada, CC (R&D), said he was pleased with the work carried out by the scientists who presented their papers during different sessions of the symposium. He said the avalanche mitigation techniques adopted by Indian scientists matched international standards. Dr RN
Sarwade, Director, SASE, said Himachal received very less precipitation this year while snowfall was normal in Jammu and Kashmir. He attributed the phenomenon of change in weather conditions to global warming. He said the SASE trained almost 10,000 soldiers every year. Dr Eric Brune (France) lauded the SASE for its infrastructure, observatory network in NW Himalayas and facilities like models, satellite etc. A number of topics on snow and avalanches were discussed during the symposium, he said. Around 40 experts from abroad, including Japan, Canada, France, Switzerland, Finland, the USA, Poland, Russia, Germany, the UK and Austria, shared their views on avalanches during the symposium. There were more than 75 speakers from India. |
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No avalanche forewarning system in tribal areas
Manali, April 10 Though glaciologists in Europe have evolved a precise avalanche forewarning system, the glaciologists here have yet to work out a comprehensive avalanche forewarning system. The glaciologists, who have gathered at the Snow and Avalanche Establishment (SASE) here for an international symposium on snow and avalanche, said the SASE had gathered data for the past 20 years in western Himalayas. “The exact reasons behind the 1979 avalanche have not been ascertained so far”, they said. Tribal residents said, “The district administrations sound a general alert on radio after the snowfall, but there is no scientific avalanche forewarning system in the tribal belt.” President of Layal Ski School, who has been training tribal youths in Keylong to undertake snow contingency operations since the 1979 incident, said, “Avalanche threaten tribal people every year, but there is no scientific avalanche forewarning system in Leh-Lahaul and Kinnaur belt.” SASE director Dr RN Sarwade said the establishment was mainly monitoring snow and avalanche in the western Himalayan region for ensuring safety of the troops and their camps. “However, we have observed that villagers know better as to which area is avalanche-prone and they do not settle there. We do forewarn residents about the dangers of avalanches from time to time with help of local administration,” he claimed. President of the International Glaciologists Society Dr Erick
Brun, who had come to participate in the symposium, said most of the European countries had put in place avalanche forewarning systems after the 1951 avalanche incidents, killed over 100 persons in France, and no major fatality had been reported ever since in Europe.
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Forest cover dwindles despite green felling ban
Shimla, April 10 Till date, 7,875 hectare of forest area has been diverted for non-forestry use since 1980, when the Forest Conservation Act came into force. Out of this, 4,225 hectares have been diverted over the past 10 years. Hydroelectric projects have swallowed the maximum forest area (around 3,770 hectares), followed by transmission lines (1,608 hectares) and road projects (1,276 hectares). The implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and the World Bank-funded road projects have led to rapid expansion of road network in the hills. However, roads are also taking a heavy toll on the already depleted forest reserves. Over the past 10 years, 690 hectare forest land has been diverted for construction of roads, which is more than 55 per cent of the total area diverted for such uses. The setting up of cement plants has led to diversion of forest land for mining of limestone. In all, 815 hectare forest land has been transferred for the purpose. Similarly, about 1,400 hectare, almost 40 per cent of the total forest area transferred for construction of hydroelectric projects, has been diverted only over the past one decade. Another 480 hectare area has been diverted for erecting transmission lines for evacuation of power. The Forest Department has now urged the power board to come out with a transmission plan to avoid multiplicity of high-tension lines that were taking a heavy toll on trees. The Central Electricity Authority has also put in place a stringent policy under which the maximum quantum of land to be allowed for setting up thermal power plants has been fixed and it has asked the state to carry out a similar exercise to optimise use of land for hydroelectric projects. |
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Cong puts up united show
Hamirpur, April 10 Though this meeting was held under the banner of ex-servicemen’s department of the Congress party this, in fact, turned into a forum to bring all leaders from the Hamirpur constituency on one platform. While the state president of the Congress committee Kaul Singh Thakur came, especially to attend this meeting all important leaders like MLAs, former ministers, state presidents of the frontal organisations, that is, the Congress Sewa Dal, the Youth Congress, the NSUI, the Mahila Congress, presidents and other office-bearers from Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur districts which fall under the parliamentary constituency were also present at this meeting. The important feature of this meeting was that a few leaders who were singing in different tones a few days ago now stressed on the need of contesting the election unitedly to meet the challenge of the BJP. The presence of former minister Ram Lal Thakur, who had contested the Hamirpur seat thrice on the Congress ticket and O.P Ratan who was Congress candidate during the last election can be a moral booster for the Congress, their experience could be a guiding force for the Congress activists as they both told the Congressmen. State general secretary and Nadaun MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s asserted “we must go to battlefield of the election with a clear heart and effective strategy bears quite significance since he is the only Congress MLA in Hamirpur district and was openly opposing the candidature of Narinder Thakur.” While almost all leaders, who would matter in carrying the campaign of the party were present at today’s meeting, their talk of fighting elections unitedly must be a big relief to party leaders watching clear dissentions in the party during the past some time. |
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Environment yet to become important issue: Bahuguna
Bilaspur, April 10 Bahuguna has now thrown his might behind the Himalaya Niti
Abhiyan, a group of about two dozen action committees from Himachal who are protesting against displacement of people due to the coming up of power projects, cement plants, SEZ and ski village. He is here to attend the Himalaya Bachao campaign and pledge his support to those fighting for sustainable development. “Political parties will try to intimidate you and in case that fails they will try to buy your vote with some notes and this is what one has to guard against,” he says, sounding a note of caution to the people fighting to protect their livelihood. He hastens to add that though people are realising the relevance of protecting environment but a mass awakening in this regard is yet to come. He says the fact that people still do not realise the importance of protecting environment is the reason why anybody stressing on the issue cannot win elections. “The eight-year-old Chipko agitation was not easy as women sat in the forests through the night as the authorities brought Nepalese labour to continue work but then the people did not give up the struggle which ultimately was fruitful,” he says. He says it is fight that people have to fight not just for their own survival but for the next generations. Holding a copy of the declaration of the Save Himalaya Movement he launched in the Tehri area of Uttrakhand in 1992, he says though both Himachal and his home sate have imposed a complete ban on felling of trees but mining is still causing irreparable damage to
the ecology.
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Kaul accuses CM of violating poll code
Hamirpur, April 10 Addressing a joint meeting of ex-servicemen and Congress workers from the Hamirpur constituency, he said, “Dhumal is trying to force panchayat presidents to work for the ruling party during the elections by saying their works would not be done by the government in case they do not do so.” Seeking votes for Congress candidate Narinder Thakur, he also appealed to the people to pay tributes to late Jagdev Chand Thakur by voting for his son. Thakur also criticised the Chief Minister for allegedly indulging in double talk about the alleged injustice being done to the state by the UPA government. He said, “Earlier, Dhumal was saying that his government had brought maximum projects for the state from the Centre, but now he was raising the issue of alleged injustice being done to the state by the Central Government.” He said, “Congress governments had made tremendous contribution to the development of Hamirpur district. The Rs 70-crore Bamsan drinking water scheme is a big contribution of the previous Congress government.”
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St Edward’s prepares to welcome Ansari
Shimla, April 10 Vice-President Hamid Ansari will take a walk down memory lane as he will take out time to visit his school on April 15 during his trip to the erstwhile summer capital of the British. Ansari along with his younger brother, Haris Ansari, studied for two years in the school between 1949-51 while their father was posted here. The school had been anxiously waiting for Ansari to visit Shimla as they were confident that he would surely visit his alma mater. The school while congratulating the former diplomat on his elevation to the post of Vice- President had requested him to spare some time to visit the school whenever he visited the town. “We are waiting to welcome the alumnus who has brought laurels to the school and it will be a proud moment to have him amidst us on April 15,” says the Principal of St Edward’s John Bosco. “The Vice-President along with his younger brother took admission in the school on June 3, 1949 and spent two years studying here,” the Principal said, showing the admission register. The admission register has the name of Hamid Ansari who was admitted to class VI and his brother Haris Ansari to class V on the same day. The names are written in the register by M.A. Aziz Ansari, Ansari’s father, who has mentioned his designation as Superintendent in the Insurance, Governemnt of India.
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Vote for a strong govt: CM
Hamirpur, April 10 Addressing a meeting of BJP workers of Bhoranj mandal at Nagrota Gajjian in Hamirpur district today, he said, “You have an option to elect a strong government or a dependent one. If you want strong
(majboot) government of the NDA, vote for the BJP; and if you want a dependent
(majboor) government, you can vote for the Congress.” Castigating the UPA government, he said, “The UPA government has brought misery to the people of the country by failing to check price rise, unemployment and protect the country from terrorists. It will soon scrap the industrial package to the state that will lead to unemployment here.” He said, “The country attained a significant position in the world community during the previous NDA government. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had enhanced the prestige of the country by conducting nuclear explosion and by handling the Kargil war effectively, while the UPA government was seeking US advice to deal with terrorists attack in Mumbai.” He asked the people to vote for Anurag Thakur from here as he would take up the development and other issues of the area effectively in Parliament. Education Minister ID
Dhiman, district BJP president and MLA Baldev Sharma and BJP candidate Anurag Thakur also addressed the meeting. |
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Insurance Co told to pay Rs 20,000
Bilaspur, April 10 The forum also ordered that 9 per cent interest would be paid to Sanjay by the company from the date of launching the complaint, i.e. June 21, 2006, till realisation of this amount. The company was also directed to pay Rs 2,000 to him as litigation charges. Earlier, Rakesh
Kutal, the counsel for the complainant, told the forum that the shop of the petitioner was insured with the company for an amount of Rs 2 lakh for any theft losses and it was burgled on the night of August 5, 2005, along with some other adjoining shops, and the company, despite repeated requests, did not pay him the losses and totally rejected his claim on report of the surveyor and loss assessor of the company. The forum, however, did not accept the claim of losses of Rs 80,000 saying that the complainant could not substantiate losses to that extent in the theft and though at
a later stage he assessed his losses to the tune of Rs 80,000, he had actually reported losses of only 20 to 25,000 in the FIR. |
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Suhi Fair begins
Chamba, April 10 The fair is being celebrated on the premises of a palanquin-shaped Suhi temple, located on a hillock above Chamba town. The commencement of the Suhi Fair symbolises the foundation year of the erstwhile Chamba state too. All possible arrangements for the celebration of the fair have been made, claim officials of the local municipal council. More than 1,000-year-old Suhi Mata shrine at Chamba is an inseparable part of Chamba’s cultural heritage. The temple was erected in the memory of the saintly Queen Sunayana. It was the Queen’s quietus, which brought drinking water to Chamba town and quenched the thirst of her subjects at a time when there was an
acute scarcity of water in the town. Meanwhile, elderly citizens of the town have urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to declare the Suhi Fair as a district-level fair. |
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Chief Engineer held for graft
Dharamsala, April 10 SP (Vigilance), Dharamsala zone, Santosh Patial said a contractor from the Bairasilu power project of the NHPC in Chamba district had approached them. He alleged the Chief Engineer was demanding money for clearing
his bills. A trap was laid and the Chief Engineer was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant this evening. He would be
produced in the court tomorrow, the SP (Vigilance) said. Sources said it was for the first time in the state that an officer of the level of a chief engineer had been arrested on the charge of accepting bribe. |
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Summer festival ends
Bilaspur, April 10 The title of Kehloor Kumar was bagged by wrestler Balvir Chilla of Chandpur, as he defeated Amit of Chhatt in the final event. Balvir got Silver Gurj and a cash prize of Rs 12,000 while runner up Amit got cash prize of Rs 7,000.
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Don’t give land for cement plant: Bahuguna
Sundernagar, April 10 The government has already issued notification to acquire land of this village which would be used as the mining site for the proposed plant.
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Congress leader dies
Shimla, April 10 He took over as the secretary of the party in 1952 and held the post all through. He has been looking after the party work until two years ago when he was taken ill. A large number of people, including former minister Asha Kumari, party general secretary Kuldeep Rathore, local BJP MLA Suresh Bhardwaj and several other political leaders attended his funeral. Former CM Virbhadra Singh, leader of Opposition Vidya Stokes, Chief Minister PK Dhumal and state BJP chief Jai Ram have condoled his death.
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1 killed in mishap
Mandi, April 10 Sandeep Kumar, of Dhamondar village in Sirmaur, was also injured in the accident and was out of danger. They were on their way from Mandi to Kullu. A case has been registered.
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Secretary general of the International Glaciological Society, UK, Dr Magnus Mar Magnusson today said the international symposium on snow and avalanches, jointly organised by the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) and the International Glaciological Society
(IGS), UK, for the first time in India, was a success and the IGS would like to organise more such symposiums in India in the future.
