Solan, January 30
With the state government ordering transfer of the CEO of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industrial Development Authority (BBNDA) at the fag end of the central industrial package, the non-seriousness of the government towards this prime industrial area has been exposed.

Accounting for more than 70 per cent of the state’s industrial growth, the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) would now be looked after on an ad-hoc basis as no permanent official has been posted here.

It is worth mentioning that the BBNDA has remained largely ignored in the absence of a permanent CEO for most part of its formation since October, 2006. Though a budget of Rs 200 crore was announced for it at the time of its constitution by the government, it remained a mere announcement. The authority, which lacked adequate staff, was dependent on collection of taxes to meet their salaries. The post of deputy CEO was filled for a short period of barely six months and the post has remained largely vacant.

The authority has seen a permanent CEO for barely a few months initially and for a year last year with the charge being held on additional basis by the deputy commissioner. However, this time, even no ad hoc arrangement seems to be done as no official has been posted in place of Mamta Chowdhary who has been transferred to Kinnaur after spending a year here.

With such adhocism plaguing the most crucial industrial development authority, one wonders what development could it undertake.

The short tenure of officials gave them little time to understand and execute the authority works and now with just two months left for the central industrial package to expire, leaving the authority unattended would cripple its working. Since the authority was responsible for executing crucial works for setting up industries, all such works would stand to suffer.

Though the government boasts of promoting industrialisation and has been blaming the Centre for its step-motherly treatment to the state, the manner in which the authority’s working has been handled, leaves one wondering whether the government was serious in promoting industrial growth.

With no CEO, the authority would have no permanent representative to pursue cases of seeking funds under various central schemes.

This would also adversely effect the progress of various projects where funds were being sought from the Centre. Since funds are badly needed to improve infrastructure and set up other facilities in the BBN, absence of a CEO would reflect adversely.

Bilaspur, January 30
Leprosy is a disease like any other diseases and can be treated fully with the help of advanced drugs which are available at government health centres and hospitals free of cost.

This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta while presiding over a daylong district-level “Leprosy Day” celebrations organised by the District Medical and Family Welfare Department at regional hospital here to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Nandita Gupta said with strenuous efforts of the department, this disease was now vanishing from the state.

The DC said in the year 2007-08, there were 246 leprosy patients in the state which reduced to 207 in the year 2008-09.

Today, there were only 121 patients left in the state as all the rest have been fully treated with regular medication, she added.

The DC paid glowing tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and urged all to follow his ideals and principles. She also flagged off a “Leprosy awakening rally” organised by students of the local government nursing school and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya through the town bazaars.

A blood donation camp was also held at District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) at Jukhala near here which was inaugurated by local MLA Randhir Sharma.

It saw the participation of 30 students of the institute who donated blood during the occasion. Randhir Sharma lauded their efforts.

Kangra, January 30
The Himachal Pradesh Government-aided School Employees’ Union today threatened to launch a state-wide stir against the state government’s failure to give salaries for want of 95 per cent grant-in-aid for the past two years now.

Rajinder Sharma and Sanjeev Kapoor, state president and general secretary of the union, respectively, in a joint statement here today said, “The union strongly condemns the state government and the Education Department for its alleged negligence of the 95 per cent-aided schools.”

They said on the one hand the Supreme Court had directed the state government to release 95 per cent grant-in-aid to these schools before June 30, on the other, the education department had failed to release the grant-in-aid of even 2008-2009 financial year.

The two union leaders said they had called on Chief Minister PK Dhumal, Education Minister ID Dhiman, Principal Secretary, Education, and Director, Secondary Education, time and again and despite assurance, employees of these schools had not been getting salaries for the past 24 months.

They said they would serve a court notice on the government as it was violating the apex court directions.

They said 600 employees had been waiting for their salaries in these hard times for the past two years and the government was just making lame excuses to save its skin, thus affecting the career prospects of hundreds of students.

Hamirpur, January 30
Deepak Sharma, spokesman of the Congress, has said the state unit of the party has decided to observe February 1 as the “corruption day” throughout the state and would hold protests in all 68 assembly segments to highlight the alleged involvement of BJP leaders in corruption cases.

Addressing mediapersons here today, he said on this day Congressmen would hold protests to highlight the issue of corruption at the block and district levels.

“BJP leaders are involved in corruption cases and trying to hush up charges of corruption recently made through CDs against their leaders by using state government’s investigating agency”, Sharma said.

“The alleged call girl racket has been buried by the state government to save their leaders in the past and now attempt is being made to hush up the CDs exposures also,” he added. He also demanded a CBI inquiry in the case.

Shimla, January 30
With the state leadership of the BJP failing to arrive at a consensus on the new party chief, the high command has convened a meeting of senior leaders at New Delhi on February 1 to decide the issue.

National president Nitin Gadkari will preside over the meeting at which general secretary, organisation, Ram Lal, and regional secretary, organisation, Manohar Lal, will also be present. Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal, former chief minister Shanta Kumar, in charge of Himachal affairs Satya Pal Jain and secretary, organisation, Mohinder Pande, have been called for the meeting. The high command is not in favour of delaying matters and wants to install the new state BJP chief in the first week of February.

The chances of present incumbent Khimi Ram continuing in the post have dimmed following the emergence of Rohru MLA and party general secretary Khushi Ram Balnatah as a contender for the post along with forest minister J.P.Nadda. The Dhumal camp has been in favour of Khimi Ram, the rival Shanta Kumar camp is keen to see Nadda or Balnatah in the coveted post. The high command had earlier left it to the state leaders to evolve consensus on any one name. However, as both the camps stuck to their positions no headway could be made and the election of state president scheduled for January 31 had to be deferred.

Both Nadda and Balnatah are experienced campaigners, who have risen from the ranks of the ABVP, and have served the party organisation in various capacities during their long political careers. However, Nadda has had a stint at the national level in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and enjoys a good rapport with Gadkari and other central leaders.

The high command is keen to settle the issue by evolving consensus on one of these names. However, the possibility of some other leader emerging as a dark horse could not be ruled out altogether. Much will depend on the Gadkari who wants a strong and effective organisation, particularly in the states where the party is in power. It has been observed that the party usually becomes ineffective in such states and plays second fiddle to the government.

Since Gadkari is himself presiding over the meeting, an instant decision is on cards and there is little likelihood of further delay in the matter. The party, which has been pushed to the backfoot following the surfacing of triple CDs, needs to put up a united front to face the Congress onslaught, hence the need to settle the issue by consensus. 

Hamirpur, January 30
Education Minister ID Dhiman said the purpose of organising annual prize distribution functions was not only to give prizes to meritorious students but its purpose was also to encourage mediocre students to excel. Dhiman said this while presiding over an annual prize distribution function at Government Senior Secondary School, Didwin Tikkar, on Friday.

He said the educationists should provide practical training to students along with providing quality education enabling them to earn livelihood by moulding themselves according to the prevailing conditions and also render services to the nation.

The minister said Rs 1360 crore had been earmarked for education during the current financial year and there was a provision of Rs 4.16 crore to provide scholarships for students of primary education while free books worth Rs 10.64 crore were distributed during this year to the students of weaker sections.

He said the state was moving ahead in every field under the leadership of Chief Minister PK Dhumal and special priority was being accorded to provide quality education in the state.

Dhiman said Rs 1.20 crore had been provided to construct a science block, a wall and a playground in the school here and work on these works was progressing well.

The minister gave prizes to meritorious students on this occasion. A cultural programme was also presented by the students during the annual function. 

Shimla, January 30
The state Youth Congress has rejected the criticism of Kinnaur District Congress Committee chief Jagat Negi over appointment of office-bearers of the youth wing and asked him to remain within his limits or be prepared to face a stir.

Two prominent leaders of the Youth Congress Manish Thakur, general secretary, and Rakesh Rathore, treasurer, in a joint statement here today asserted that the youth wing would function in accordance with the directions of Rahul Gandhi and national president Ashok Tanwar. They advised Jagat Singh Negi to do introspection before raising an accusing finger on the newly appointed district youth president Rakesh Loktas.

They warned him if he continued to interfere in the affairs of the Youth Congress, it could go to any extent for which the responsibility would squarely rest on him. They also drew the attention of Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh in the matter and urged him to restrain Negi from interfering in the affairs of the youth wing.

They pointed out that district Youth Congress presidents of Kinnaur and Sirmour were appointed through the process of talent hunt as per the directions of the national president.

Sundernagar, January 30
Joginder Singh, president of state unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), today appealed to the state government to formulate a policy to stop misuse of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

Thakur, who had been recently unanimously elected as the president, said at present the agricultural land in the state was being used by industrialists for non-agricultural purposes and the government did not have any policy to check the misuse of lands.

He further criticised the state government for allowing big industrial houses to purchase agriculture land in the state.

He urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to not allow acquisition of land for setting up of a cement plant, near Sundernagar, as it would eat up the fertility of the land. Majority of farmers opposed the decision for setting up of the cement plant.

Shimla, January 30
The British High Commission has asked for a letter rogatory from the state police so that further action could to be taken in the case of stolen George Cross, which was listed for sale by a London auction house last year.

The state CID which is pursing the case received an e-mail in this regard yesterday. Meanwhile, the UK authorities have frozen the George Cross, awarded posthumously in 1946 to Naik Kirpa Ram (8th Battalion of 13th Frontier Force Rifles) of Papral village in Bilaspur, as a disputed property. It is a major achievement in the case as it could not be put up for sale until the issue is settled. It is an indication that the police has been able to provide substantial evidence in the shape of documents, investigation reports to convince the UK authorities that it was illegally taken out of the country.

DIG, CID, Venugopal said that the process was on for preparing the letter rogatory which would be finalised shortly. Thereafter, the Bilaspur court would be approached to get the letter rogatory issued with the request to the UK authorities concerned for returning the stolen medal so that it could be restored to Brahmi Devi, the widow of Kirpa Ram.

The police had earlier sent complete details of the case through central agencies to the British High Commission which had been keen to expedite the case as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles had sent Christmas and New Year greetings to Brahmi Devi for the first time since 1946.

Brahmi Devi had earlier got a police complaint registered on February 3, 2002, that the George Cross along with other medals had been stolen from her house. However, the case was revived after S.S. Chandel, a retired IAS officer, brought the matter regarding the sale of the medal by a London-based auction house Dix Noonan Webb Limited to the notice of the government.

However, now with the UK authorities terming the medal as a disputed property it cannot be auctioned.