Shimla, February 13
A complete bandh was observed in Shimla, Chopal, Rohru and Nerwa on the call given by various Hindu organisations against the incident of cow slaughter in the Nerwa area of the district, which remained peaceful as there was heavy deployment of police in the entire area.

There was a complete bandh in Shimla town on the call given by the Dharam Raksha Manch as barring banks, all shops and commercial establishments in the markets remained closed till 3 pm.

Activists of the manch, along with a host of other organisations, took out a protest rally and held a dharna at Naaz against the heinous crime in the Nerwa area of Chopal on February 11.

The call for bandh by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was also complete as all shops in Nerwa, Chopal and Rohru remained shut. These organisations said people belonging to the minority community had been living in the hill state in complete harmony since times immemorial. However, it were fanatics from other states who were trying to provoke them on communal lines.

While the six accused in the cow slaughter case, which sparked off communal tension in the Nerwa area yesterday, remained lodged at the Theog police station while on police remand, the situation in the area remained normal amidst heavy deployment of police personnel.

District police chief RM Sharma, who was still camping in Nerwa, said even though bandh was observed at various places, the situation was absolutely peaceful and under control. He said there was adequate deployment of police not just in Nerwa, but also in all villages where there was a possibility of trouble brewing due to communal tension.

The police deployment is likely to continue in the area for the next few days till complete normalcy returns. With some Hindu organisations talking of visiting the site of cow slaughter for cleansing and purification, the police deployment in the area is likely to continue.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister PK Dhumal who is on a tour abroad, appealed to the people of the state to exercise restrain and not allow communal disharmony in the aftermath of the Nerwa incident.

He said Himachal was known to be a peaceful state where people of all castes, religions and creed had lived in complete peace and harmony and this should not be vitiated.

Shimla, February 13
The Longijian Road and Bridge Company has resumed work on the two road projects in Himachal after a gap of almost six months even though technical and financial constraint is coming in the way of expeditious work on the World Bank-funded project.

About 11 Chinese, mostly those holding managerial posts, arrived at the two sites in Shimla and Una districts after the Ministry of External Affairs granted them work visa. However, with work remaining at a standstill for almost six months, problems are being faced as they have to practically start from a scratch.

According to sources, besides getting the machinery back into functioning, the company was faced with financial constraints even though they had been given a sum of about Rs 3.50 crore when they came here to resume the work.

“In order to ensure that work is not much delayed, we are likely to provide the company a sum of Rs 4.50 crore after an approval from the board which is scheduled to meet on February 16,” said a senior official.

Even though the Himachal government had urged the Ministry of External Affairs to grant work visa to almost 80 Chinese who were engaged in road construction work at the two sites, the case of only 11 could come through.

“We are happy that the firm has resumed work as we are keen that they finish the task which will obviously be delayed in case there are further problems,” said PC Kapoor, Principal Secretary, PWD.

The arrival of the Chinese team to resume work at the Mehatpur-Amb-Una road and Theog-Kotkhai-Hatkoti-Rophru roads worth Rs 354 crore would prevent further delay. Contract for the two roads of about 120-km length was awarded under the World Bank-funded project, work on which began in June, 2008, and was to be completed by November, 2010.

Following directives from the Centre that only those Chinese nationals having work visa could stay on, all 100 persons at the two sites in Himachal had been forced to return home. Even though the state government had urged the Centre to grant work visas to all workers, permission has been given to only 11, including project director and engineers.

At one point of time, the government had even considered rescinding the contract. However, the fact that it involved a lot of procedural wrangles, including seeking permission from the World Bank and preparation of new DPRs which was bound to delay the road completion work by atleast two years, the PWD is keen that work is completed by this firm only.

Shimla, February 13
Condemning the act of violence and vandalism under the garb of “cow slaughter” in the Chopal area, the CPM today blamed the state government and demanded that it should act in an impartial manner and check all such communal forces which were trying to create tension.

In a statement issued here today, Member State Secretariat Tikender Singh Panwar accused the BJP regime of allowing such acts of violence and vandalism to take place and intervening only when the damage was done.

“Despite having apprehension that there could be trouble, the authorities remained silent so that the RSS could cause damage to the mosques and madrasas,” he said.

He accused the RSS of perpetrating communal violence in Nerwa despite the fact that the people belonging to the minority community had been living there for the past more than four decades.

“The RSS is communalising the entire atmosphere in the state under the garb of cow killing which was evident from the manner in which venomous slogans were raised by RSS and VHP activists during the protest in Shimla today,” he said.

He alleged that the police too acted in a partisan manner and did nothing to stop these activists from raising provocative slogans.

Solan, February 13
Expressing concern over the lack of facilities provided to girls at the Salogra-based Adivasi Balika Chhatravas, Governor Urmila Singh has directed the district administration to send her a detailed inquiry report in the molestation case.

The Governor, who conducted a surprise inspection of the tribal hostel yesterday, interacted with the five tribal girl students who hailed from Jharkhand.

She expressed dissatisfaction over the facilities being provided in the hostel by the management and directed the district administration to undertake frequent checks and inspections of such hostels in future to avoid any untoward incident. The Governor expressed concern over the living conditions in the hostel and the inadequate space where 31 girls were living.

It is worth mentioning that despite the case of molestation of minor girl coming to light, the chairperson of the State Women’s Commission had not bothered to visit the hostel. Even politicians, who generally raise a hue and cry over minor issues, failed to show sympathy with the girls. The hostel had now been closed by the trust till adequate arrangements were made and the five girls residing in the hostel had been shifted to Delhi branch of the NGO.

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department has submitted a report in the matter. Additional director Lokender Chauhan told The Tribune that they had inquired into the working of the hostel and it was learnt that the Delhi-based NGO had branches in Jharkhand, Delhi and Salogra and some girls from Jharkhand had been transferred from there to Salogra. Since majority of the girls were orphans, they had come here for studies. It is, however, worth mentioning that the hostel was seeking funds from the Tribal Development Department though it had failed to get the same for the past about two to three years. They had shifted the hostel to this present site about a year ago so as to qualify for the aid extended by the Tribal Development Department as the earlier building was in a poor state.

It is, however, interesting to note that despite the molestation case by the hostel in charge coming to the fore, the department had not taken note of the incident. Any girl, who could furnish a tribal certificate from a gazetted official, could seek admission though the hostel, where a dormitory was divided into two rooms, was ill-equipped to handle a strength of 31 girls along with the family of the hostel in charge.

Dharamsala, February 13
The police today arrested two Tibetans on charges of raping a Tibetan girl last evening. The SP, Kangra, Atul Fulzele, when contacted, told The Tribune that a 17-year- old Tibetan girl lodged a complaint at Mcleodganj police station this morning that she had been raped.

In her complaint submitted to the police she has alleged that yesterday a local Tibetan, Tenzin Robas, invited her and her brother for Losar (Tibetan new year) party. The accused took her to a restaurant in Mcleodganj for dinner where another person who was a friend of the accused joined them. They took dinner and beer at the restaurant after which she requested the accused to drop her at the house.

However, instead the accused and his friend took her to a guest house on TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) road. The accused Tenzin Robas was already living in a room in the guest house. Tenzin and his friend raped her throughout the night, the victim Tibetan girl has alleged in her police complaint.

The SP said the police had arrested both the accused. A case of rape has been registered against them. The process to verify papers of the accused has also been started, he said.

It is the second case in the past two months when Tibetans have been accused of rape in the Mcleodganj area. In the recent past a German woman had levelled charges of rape against two Tibetans. She was allegedly drugged and raped for many days by the accused. The police had arrested both the Tibetans who are in judicial custody.

The said incidents indicate the increasing rate of crime among members of the exiled Tibetan community here.

Shimla, February 13
To ensure smooth flow of funds under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for providing effective transportation modes, the local municipal corporation (MC) has engaged the services of a consultant to prepare a city mobility plan (CMP).

With flow of funds under the JNNURM being very slow, the endeavour is to meet the norms laid down by the Union Urban Development so that there are no hitches in the way of getting liberal funding. The name of a Delhi-based consultant has been approved to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the CMP.

Since the local MC is keen to push through its mega projects like the setting up of aerial ropeways, tunnels, flyovers and creation of more parking lots to improve the transportation system in the capital town, the Union Urban Ministry wants that the entire spade work be done by technical experts on the basis of which funding can be given.

“According to the pre-requisite for seeking funds under the JNNURM, we have engaged a consultant who will prepare the blue print for the city mobility plan so that we can decongest the town and prevent choking of roads,” said AN Sharma, Municipal Commissioner.

He added that the possibility of having overhead mode of transportation, like the aerial ropeways, would have to be explored as it would not only reduce the pressure on the roads, but would be an added attraction in the hill town.

With practically the entire traffic of the town moving along the Circular or Cart Road, the government is keen that more bypasses are constructed. With a stupendous increase in the number of vehicles in the town, traffic jams have become the order of the day, especially during the peak tourist season in summers.

Though the Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) had prepared the CMP along with the City Development Plan, a technical document will be prepared by the consultant. There is a proposal to have aerial ropeways, tunnels and escalators so that the pressure on the roads can be reduced.

In order to ensure proper transportation linkages, a second bypass, connecting Jubbarhatti-Ghandal-Vaknaghat and Basantpur, is also being proposed along with several radial routes along the spurs. Creation of parking lots is a must as it is the haphazard parking of roads which causes traffic jams.

Mandi, February 13
Four devtas of the Sanor valley---Sukhdev Rishi (Badar Thata), Ghati Haad Hanogi, Dev Jhajhibir (Drang Sira) and Dev Jaiunu Ganpati (Jawalapur)---today walked out of the first traditional Shivratri Jaleb procession from the Rajmadhorao temple to the Paddal Maidan as they accused the mela committee of breaking the “traditional protocol of walking right behind the Rajmadhav Rath which these devtas have been occupying over the years”.

In fact, devlus and kardars blamed the mela committee for not maintaining the “written protocol of Shobha yatra” to keep the traditional decorum alive.

“It is because of this causal attitude that such unpleasant controversy arise time and again as the similar thing happened last year too,” they said.

The rath of the four devtas, escorted by their devlus and bajantris, were pulled out from the Shobha yatra that created a stir as over a thousand of visitors were baffled by the devtas taking a different route to their camp in the backyards of the Raj Mahal.

Kadars of the devtas, Ved Ram and Lachi Ram, said the mela committee had failed to put the traditional protocol in place. “We come from remote valleys to attend the the fair and jaleb. However, the tradition is being broken at regular intervals, which is an insult to devtas,” they said.

DC-cum-mela committee president Amandeep Garg, Mandi SP SM Agnihotri and Sarvdevta committee president Shivpaul Sharma tried to persuade the devlus of the four devtas, but they refused to budge. It was after persuasion and an assurance from BJP leader Jawahar Thakur, a ward member from Snor valley, that they came back and joined the jaleb which was disrupted for an hour at the Suketi bridge.

President of the Rajput Sabha Colonel MK Mandyal said they respected the devtas. “We have no ego hassles to break tradition and it may happen due to overcrowding,” he clarified.

Chamba, February 13
Some portions of the Chamba-Satrundi, Langera, Nayagran and Hadsar highways are still covered under snow, thereby making several habitations inaccessible due to disruption of transportation services.

Life in the highlands of the district has been gradually returning to normal as priority has been given to remove debris of landslips from the main highways connecting the far-flung areas.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar said workforce of the state public works department and other agencies concerned had been pressed into service to remove boulders and mud from the highways so that vehicular traffic could be resumed.

“Though there are reports of damages due to rains, it will take some time to assess and compile the losses,” the DC stated, adding that the entire government machinery was busy in restoration work of road network in the length and breadth of the district.

Essential commodities were being made available to the public in difficult terrains of the district to avoid any problem arising out of bad weather conditions, he said.

Meanwhile, Dalhousie PWD circle superintendent engineer SC Dhiman said top priority had been accorded to open the blockade of roads with proper upkeep at different vulnerable points.

Work to remove snow from the roads in the snowbound areas, including the link road between hill resorts like Khajjiar and Bharmour of the district was underway, he added.

Representatives of the panchayati raj institutions of Sahoo, Salooni, Bhattiyat and Mehla have reported about the destruction caused to the mini irrigation schemes in their respective areas.

Palampur, February 13
A team of the state Vigilance Bureau today conducted raid on the house of RS Jasrotia, an HAS officer of 1997 batch, who was arrested by the bureau SSP Pritam Singh Thakur with a cash of Rs 11.90 lakh at Tunni Hatti barrier in Chamba district yesterday.

A high-level team of the Vigilance Bureau conducted search at the house of Jasrotia and found some incriminating documents. However, no cash was found in the house. Later, vigilance officials also visited local banks to ascertain about the bank accounts of Jasrotia.

A spokesman of the bureau said here today that this was the biggest cash seizure of the bureau when Rs 11.90 lakh was recovered from an individual. He said earlier the bureau had seized Rs 9.50 lakh in cash from three different persons in Kullu district. He said it was suspected that Jasrotia had received the cash from micro hydel construction companies who were executing a small hydel project in Tissa area of Chamba district. The investigation is on into the matter.

It may be recalled that Jasrotia was posted at Tissa sub-division of Chamba district as SDM for the past two years. He was on his way to Palampur after relinquishing his charge. He was to take over new assignment of RTO at Hamirpur on Monday.

On a secret information, a vigilance team nabbed him at Tuni Hatti and recovered cash worth Rs 11.90 lakh from his private car (HP 44-0029). He has already been placed under suspension and presently was on police remand.

Shimla, February 13
Airtel today organised a game of tambola to create social awareness about issues like female foeticide, environment and girls’ education.

The Airtel tambola was organised by the company to raise socially relevant issues in a public forum through catchy taglines. As each number was called, it was accompanied by a social message.

The participants also took a pledge to save the environment, educate girl child, fight against female foeticide and fulfil their responsibilities as the citizens of the nation. — TNS