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Justice Panta likely to be Lokayukta
FIRs against 1,266 for forest encroachments
Forests destroyed to cultivate cannabis
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No surnames please, cops told
4 medical waste treatment plants to be set up: Bindal
Students forced to attend minister’s function: Bali
Industrial unit gutted in fire, 3 others damaged
Appoint doc at dispensary, say residents
5 special children bag 5 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze
Protection of Chowgan top priority: SDM
1,500 seats in engineering courses vacant
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Justice Panta likely to be Lokayukta
Shimla, July 7 Justice Bhawani Singh, whose term as Lokayukta expired in the first week of May this year, is still holding office as the search for a suitable person to succeed him is still on. Sources said it was almost certain that Justice Panta would succeed Justice Bhawani Singh. The Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court are favourably inclined towards his appointment. The state government had suggested the name of Justice Panta and had sought the opinion of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vidya Stokes and Chief Justice Kurian Joseph. “The Chief Justice has already sent in his concurrence to the state government’s suggestion about appointing Justice Panta as Lokayukta, but the reply from Stokes is still awaited,” the sources said. Incidentally, Justice Panta is a close relative of the CLP leader and it is expected that she, too, will respond in favour of his appointment. The sources said since the appointment of Justice Panta as chairperson of the National Green Tribunal was made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), the state government might have to seek the nod from the CJI’s office. The sources said though the tribunal was a national-level body which was looking into all issues relating to environment safety and forest protection, Justice Panta, too, was learnt to be keen on becoming the Lokayukta. There had been a lot of speculation about who would be the next Lokayukta. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had himself stated that he was not averse to Justice Bhawani Singh continuing, but since there was no provision for a second tenure, a new person had to be appointed. The names of some former Chief Justices were considered and finally the Chief Minister decided in favour of Justice Panta. The appointment of Justice Panta was made by the Ministry of Forests and Environment on October 18 last year for a term of five years. However, it was only in May that the tribunal formally started functioning. Justice Panta, who hails from the Jubbal area of Shimla district, remained a judge of the HP High Court. He was later elevated to the Supreme Court and following his retirement, he was specially picked up to head the important National Green Tribunal.
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FIRs against 1,266 for forest encroachments
Shimla, July 7 The one-month deadline for the registration of cases expired last month, but sources reveal that all encroachers have still not been booked. So far cases have been registered mostly against those who had themselves filed affidavits that they are in illegal possession of forest land and have applied for regularisation. The total land involved in the cases in which FIRs have been registered is over 1,320 hectares. There are over 9,600 cases of encroachment involving 1,850 hectares of forest land. Now that action has been initiated against big encroachers following the intervention of the high court, the department should also expedite ejection proceedings against other encroachers in accordance with the regulations framed by the government regarding compounding of forest offences in May 2010. According to the regulations, besides cases involving more that 10 bighas of forest land, an FIR has also to be lodged with the police in offences like tampering with boundary walls and erection of a permanent structure. Further, encroachments in a protected wildlife area will always require the registration of an FIR and there will be no compounding. Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, Sudipto Roy said the task force set up for the purpose from the state level to the divisional level was on the job and all the cases would be dealt with as per the regulations. The task force at the divisional level comprising the DFO, the DSP and the Tehsildar was ensuring coordinated action for the removal of the encroachments. The court had given one month for the registration of FIRs and four months for completing investigation and filing challans. The department hopes that the registration of FIRs will prove a deterrent and also help prevent repeated offences. In the absence of deterrent action, the number of pending cases never came down, despite ejection of unauthorised occupants because new cases came up. Till date eviction orders have been passed in 5,600 cases involving 1,125 hectares and about 2,800 encroachers have been removed to free 570 hectares of forest land. In the last quarter alone, 150 new cases were detected against 200 evictions.
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Forests destroyed to cultivate cannabis
Kullu/Mandi, July 7 Large-scale destruction of pine jungles came to light during the ongoing anti-cannabis drive in Kullu district where the police has destroyed cannabis on over 3,500 bighas. The mafia has deployed Nepalese labour, who share the harvested contraband crop on a 50:50 ratio. “We have arrested nine Nepalese nationals and over 70 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act and the Forest Act in the district,” said Abhishek Dular, SP, Kullu. The police destroyed cannabis on 500 bighas at Yuran Thach in the Parbati valley. “The forest had been cleared to cultivate cannabis there”, he added. The police found that 90 per cent of the area under cannabis was forest land, mainly in the Rasol-Kasol-Jari-Manikaran belt in the Parbati valley. What is worrying the police is that cannabis cultivators are moving to higher and inaccessible areas to avoid detection. “We have found areas under cannabis where cultivators have used ropes or other means to reach the spot,” said the SP. The police has detected cannabis in the Foujal valley uphill of Patlikuhal for the first time. In the higher areas, cannabis is at the infant stage while in lower Gohar village area, the police found 12-foot-high cannabis plants. The SP said the police campaign had concluded in Ani, Nirmand and the Banjar belt, where cannabis on over 300 bighas had been destroyed. Meanwhile, the Mandi police is yet to launch its second phase of the campaign in Bali Chowki tehsil, Thatchi, parts of Janjheli, Chauhar, Karsog, Balh and Nachan in the district. “We have destroyed cannabis on 110 bighas and will cover the rest in the second phase,” said Pupal Dutt, SP, Mandi. Another new trend is that Nepalese smugglers procure hashish from outside, repackage it in the name of “Malana crème” that fetches lucrative prices from foreigners who visit the valley every year or in metros, revealed top police officials.
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No surnames please, cops told
Mandi, July 7 After changing its uniform from khakhi to blue, the Himachal police has now decided to do away with surnames of its personnel in all official communication in a bid to give the police a “professional image cutting across caste, religion and regional lines in the state”. Police officials in Mandi and Kullu districts have received a fresh circular from the DGP’s office, according to which they have been directed to “say goodbye to surnames and call one another by the first name”. SPs are circulating this directive among policemen in all police stations, directing them to address one another by their first name. DGP Diljeet Singh told The Tribune that this would project a professional image of the police and would bring about a behavioural change among them. “The aim is to ensure that caste and religious feelings do not crop up while performing one’s duties,” he said. However, people have serious doubts whether dropping of the surname would bring about any real change on the ground. “You call a policeman by his first name or surname, it won’t make any difference as in all likelihood he won’t change his highhanded behaviour,” said Dinu Kahayap, a local writer. “The change must come from within. Policemen are trained more to deal with criminals than with law-abiding citizens,” he observed. Interestingly, policemen are finding it difficult to adhere to the DGP’s “new name mantra” as they have become habitual using surnames like “Minhas sahib, Thakur sahib, Sharmaji and Khan sahib” while referring to their bosses or subordinates. They will now have to change their nameplates, badges that bear their names, that too at a time when the Centre is conducting a caste-based census. “The Himachal police seems to be following the British Raj. The British had made it mandatory for officials in all departments, including the police and the Army, not to use surnames just to have a grip over them,” said a retired officer. Mandi SP Pupul Dutt said, “We are circulating the directive among policemen. It will bring about a behavioural change,” he added.
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4 medical waste treatment plants to be set up: Bindal
Dharamsala, July 7 Health Minister Rajiv Bindal said this while addressing a press conference here this morning. The minister said the state had been divided into four zones in terms of medical waste treatment. The four proposed medical waste treatment plants would cater to hospitals falling in their respective zones. Asked about setting up a medical waste treatment plant at Tanda Medical College, the minister said there was no need for it since special medical waste treatment plants were being set up for the purpose. Till date the hospitals in Himachal are dependent on the medical waste treatment plants set up in adjoining Punjab. To a query, the minister said three private groups had been given a Letter of Intent by the state government for setting up medical colleges at Una, Hamirpur and Solan districts. He said hospital facilities in the ESI medical college being set up in Mandi would be made operational by March next year. The minister was here to formally start postgraduation classes in Tanda Medical College and attend a felicitation programme organised by nurses working in the institute. The nurses had organised the programme to thank the minister for increasing their salaries. He said the MCI had sanctioned 29 postgraduation seats for Tanda Medical College. He said the state government had sought 49 postgraduation seats. However, the Centre had sanctioned just 29. “We will continue to pursue our case so that in the next session all 49 postgraduation seats are allotted to the college. The MBBS seats in Tanda Medical College have also been increased from 50 to 100,” he said. Bindal said Hamirpur district had earned the distinction of achieving a target of 94.5pc institutional deliveries.
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Students forced to attend minister’s function: Bali
Dharamsala, July 7 In the office order, it was stated that all students and staff - faculty, doctors, ministerial staff, paramedical staff and nursing staff (except those on emergency duty) - are requested to attend the function of the Health Minister, being organised in auditorium of Tanda Medical College from 2 pm to 4 pm. It was also stated that the attendance of the students would be marked in the auditorium. Bali alleged that by marking the attendance in the auditorium, the college management was forcing the students to attend a political function. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had issued a notification that college or school students would not be forced to attend political functions. However, at today’s function of the Health Minister, the management of Tanda Medical College has violated even the government notification, he said. Bali alleged that many facilities installed at the medical college by spending public money worth crores were lying unutilised due to the non-availability of medical experts. Citing an example, he said machines of the blood separation unit were inaugurated by the Chief Minister about a year ago. However, these were lying unutilised due to the non-availability of experts. Similarly, the cath laboratory for carrying out angiography was installed at the college about a year ago. Doctors were called from the IGMC, Shimla, for just the inauguration function. After that they were shifted back and the machinery was lying unutilised since then, The Health Minister, however, said some doctors from Tanda Medical College were being sent for training in using the cath lab to the IGMC, Shimla. Once they were trained, the cath lab facility would be provided to patients.He said the endoscopy facility was being started at Tanda Medical College. Doctors who would conduct endoscopy at Tanda had been trained in the PGI, Chandigarh.
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Industrial unit gutted in fire, 3 others damaged
Baddi, July 7 According to preliminary investigations, the fire was caused due to a short circuit and since inflammable chemicals were stacked in the unit, the fire spread to three other units located in adjoining plots in the HPSIDC industrial area. The units located on plot number 121 and 122 suffered losses of nearly Rs 9 lakh as a transformer and other raw material stacked there caught fire. Another unit, Aromatic Flora Private Limited, located in the rear of C and E Limited, suffered a loss of nearly Rs 20 lakh as its carbon dioxide tank of 30,000 litre capacity caught fire. Yet another unit, Alive Healthcare, too, suffered a loss of around Rs 3.5 lakh as its transformer and wires caught fire. Foam was used to extinguish the fire caused due to sudden ignition of chemicals. The flames rose several metres high and plumes of smoke were seen billowing out of the units as the fire spread within no time. The in charge of the Fire Station, Baddi, Hem Raj, said nearly 10 fire engines from Baddi and Nalagarh were used to douse the fire by 11.45 am though the fire had been brought under control within an hour. He said though the unit had procured an NOC from the Fire Department, it failed to adhere to its directions of making adequate water available on the unit premises. He said though they were carrying out mock drills to sensitise the units and create awareness about fire safety, it had been noticed that there was little adherence to the norms.
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Appoint doc at dispensary, say residents
Bilaspur, July 7 Dr Anupam Badhan, who was posted here earlier, has gone on study leave for three years. JK Nadda, Shakti Upadhyaya, AP Sharma and Ram Singh, leaders of these organisations, said here today that people of Raura, Nihal and Kosariyan, besides those of adjoining villages in Bandla Hill, used this dispensary and now the absence of a doctor had made things difficult for them. |
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5 special children bag 5 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze
Bilaspur, July 7 This was stated by HP state president, Special Olympics (Bharat), Mallika Nadda while addressing mediapersons at the Circuit House here today in the presence of two of the winners Sushil Kumar and Pawan Kumar, both trainees from a prominent social organisation “Chetna” of which Nadda is the general secretary. Industrialist and transporter Nand Prakash Vohra, president, Chetna, and a large number of social workers, including women, of this organisation were among those who were present. The two special athletes were honoured by the officials and other prominent persons. They congratulated the winners and their parents on the occasion. Special athlete Pawan Kumar won a silver medal in hand ball, while Sushil Kumar got the second position in athletics. Special children Prabha of Prema Ashram Una and Aman of Solan district won two golds each in roller skating and Ranjana of Solan got gold medal in game of Bocce. Dr Nadda said India had sent the fourth largest contingent of 235 special persons, after Greece, the USA and China, to participate in 12 games and they brought 245 medals - 78 golds, 73 silvers and 92 bronzes. The international sports event was held at the same stadium in Athens where the first Olympic Games were held in 1846. This stadium, having a seating capacity of 40,000 spectators, has been kept preserved and protected in the same form as a tribute for its contribution in promoting world sports. Both players Pawan Kumar and Sushil Kumar were also presented with cash prizes of Rs 2,500 each from “Chetna” by its president.
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Minjar Fair
Chamba, July 7 Chamba SDM Rahit Rathour, who is also the mela officer for the fair, said here yesterday that stringent conditions would be ensured while making allotment of shops and stalls for business purposes. He said erection of rain-proof pandal hangers for the shopping complex, mela shops would be installed adhering to the appropriate preventive measures against the biological degradations of the lush green Chowgans. |
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1,500 seats in engineering courses vacant
Hamirpur, July 7 The last date for submitting admission forms for these courses, which was initially June 30, was extended to July 4 for pharmacy courses and July 9 for engineering courses. For 5,580 seats available in the engineering colleges of the state, which would be affiliated with Himachal Pradesh Technical University (HPTU), Hamirpur, nearly 4,000 admission forms have already been received. For admissions to pharmacy institutes, nearly 400 admission forms have been received and over 550 seats are still available in these courses. The counselling for pharmacy courses in the first phase has already started on July 5 and will continue till July 9 and recommence in the second phase from July 25 to 27. For B Tech and BE courses, the first phase of counselling is being held on July 11 to 22 and the second phase is scheduled from August 4 to 11. There is one government college, JN Government Engineering College, Sunder Nagar, and 16 private colleges in the state. There is one government college of pharmacy at Rohroo and 12 private institutes. While speaking regarding the reasons for the remaining vacant seats in these institutes, sources said: “Students and their parents are not keen to get admissions in private institutions and many of these are still in infancy and setting up modern equipment and laboratories.” “The placements of pass-out engineers and pharmacists also weigh heavy on the minds of students and their parents while choosing institutes for professional courses” the sources said. Dr Shashi Dhiman, Vice-Chancellor, HPTU, said: “All these engineering colleges and pharmacy institutes were affiliated with the HPTU, Hamirpur, from July 1, 2011, process for which had already begun and the university will ensure implementation of all norms set by the AICTE and other technical bodies to ensure proper infrastructure and faculties.” “For improving quality of education, we will hold teachers training programmes at regular intervals,” he added.
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Kullu/Mandi, July 7
Dharamsala, July 7
Dharamsala, July 7
Five special children from Himachal Pradesh, who participated in the 13th Special Olympics World Summer Games at Athens in Greece, have brought laurels to the state by winning five gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the international event in which around 7,000 special sportspersons drawn from 180 nations competed in 19 sports and games from June 25 to July 4.
