Shimla, November 5
The state Election Committee of the Congress today finalised the names of its candidates for the byelections for Nalagarh and Renuka seats for which the Election Commission of India (ECI) has also issued the notification.

The party finalised the name of Vinay Kumar, son of former MLA from Renuka Dr Prem Singh, whose sudden death has necessitated the holding of a byelection.

From Nalagarh, the party has recommended the names of Lakhvinder Singh Rana and Hardip Singh Bawa.

The state Election Committee of the BJP has already finalised the names of Gurnam Kaur, wife of former minister HN Saini, who represented Nalagarh till his death.

On the other hand, Hriday Ram, a state services officer, is the BJP’s choice for Renuka.

All senior party leaders, including Virbhadra Singh, PCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur, Congress Legislature Party leader Vidya Stokes, former Speaker and MLA Gangu Ram Musafir, Chander Kumar, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal and Manbhari Devi, all members of the state Election Committee were among those who were present.

Other members of the committee, GS Bali and Asha Kumari, failed to attend the meeting, but had sent their views through fax.

Meanwhile, state Chief Electoral Officer Narinder Chauhan said the ECI had today issued the notification to conduct the byelection to 12 Nalagarh and 16 Renuka Assembly constituencies.

He said the process of filing nominations had started and November 12 was the last date for filing nominations and scrutiny would be done on November 14, whereas the last date for withdrawal would be November 16 and polling would be held on November 30.

He further said the counting would be done on December 4, while the byelection process would be completed by December 7, 2011.

He added that the polling would be held from 8 am to 5 pm in the two constituencies. Meanwhile, no candidate filed his nomination on the first day today.

Hamirpur, November 5
As the race for the election for the president of the state Youth Congress is getting keenly contested between sons of top leaders of the Congress, it is becoming almost unattainable for commoners in the contest.

The intense behind-the-scene lobbying by top leaders to back their sons in the contest, use of huge money and resources for campaigning and extent of electioneering has made this election equivalent to that of a Parliament election.

In all, 14 candidates are in the fray to elect the state president of the Youth Congress and the state executive.

Union Cabinet Minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya, former Transport Minister GS Bali’s son Raghubir and present Youth Congress president Man Mohan Katoch are some of the prominent candidates contesting the election.

Each candidate is touring every district and has covered almost all the parts of the state seeking support for the post.

The candidates are holding meeting in hotels and spending a good amount of money to offer lunch and dinner to voters and their supporters.

Though this election is an organisational poll, rival candidates are targeting their rivals in the media like opponents of elections for other parliamentary institutions.

Senior Congress leaders, including MLAs, are not supposed to campaign or back any candidate in this election, but in fact this election is becoming a trial of strength between the two factions within the state Congress, feel many.

Shimla, November 5
With the government still being undecided about enhancing the retirement age of doctors serving in its three medical colleges, 12 doctors have sought a no objection certificate (NOC) to quit their job, as they can serve till 70 years of age at any government institute outside the state or in the corporate sector.

The proposal to enhance the age of doctors in the two medical colleges and dental college from 58 to 63 yesrs is likely to be placed before the Cabinet shortly, but with further delay, there is also a possibility that some more doctors can seek retirement.

It is reliably learnt that 12 doctors have already sought an NOC for seeking retirement from the Department of Medical Education.

With the inspection by the Medical Council of India (MCI) team due in December, there could be issues with regard to the enhanced MD, MS and other diploma courses as these were permitted against serving doctors, some of whom have either retired or are on the brink of superannuation.

The number of MD and diploma seats has gone up from 39 to 111 and an additional 85 MBBS seats have been increased in the two medical colleges.

The Department of Medical Education and the administration of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, and Government Dental College, Shimla, are a worried lot as the retirement of about 25 doctors by 2012 end can cripple the situation for them.

“With there being no final decision about the enhancement of the age of doctors by the government, we can be in trouble as any further delay will lead to exodus of doctors from here to institutes where they will get at least eight more years of service,” admit health officials.

Moreover, the proposed setting up of a private medical college in the state can also attract many of doctors serving in government set-up as they will get to serve till at least 65 or 70 years.

Though a majority of the states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, have enhanced the retirement age to 65 years, Himachal too will have to increase the same.

The issue of shortage of doctors is not just confined to Himachal as all states are facing shortage, prompting most of them to enhance the retirement age. The officials point out that the MCI had already recommended that the retirement age of doctors be increased up to a maximum of 70 years as there was a shortage of specialists.

Shimla, November 5
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today dedicated the newly constructed Himachal Sewa Sadan, constructed at a cost of Rs 10.5 crore in Sector 25 West, Chandigarh, to people of Himachal Pradesh.

The creation of the facility will greatly help referred patients from different health institutions in Himachal to Chandigarh in getting decent and affordable accommodation. A majority of the patients from the hill state come for advanced medical treatment in specialised hospitals, including the PGI, Government Medical College and Hospital and Fortis.

The Chief Minister said another milestone had been added in quality health infrastructural facilities of the state with the construction of the sadan, which was the third building of its type in Chandigarh. He said need was being felt to create more facilities for patients and their attendants in Chandigarh as the Serai Bhawan constructed earlier was not big enough to meet the lodging needs of people.

Dhumal said with the construction of the sadan, an additional accommodation for 145 patients and attendants had been created. The accommodation would be made available at a nominal daily rent of Rs 500 for the room and Rs 100 for each bed in the dormitory.

Kangra, November 5
The Aman Satya Kachroo Memorial Trust, set up by the HP Government immediately after the death of Aman Satya Kachroo, 19-year-old first-year MBBS student of DRPGMC, Tanda, Kangra, has proved to be non-starter. Even after a lapse of more than two years, the trust is craving for funds despite the government decision to provide an annual grant of Rs 10 lakh to the trust up to five years.

Inquiries from the state’s Health and Medical Education Department reveals that the government, so far, hadn’t even drawn up any calendar about the activities to be taken by the trust in educational institutions, including DRPGMC, Tanda.

This trust aimed at keeping a check on ragging and making society in general and student community in particular to institutionalise zero tolerance to ragging. The SDM, Kangra, had registered and attested the trust through its five trustees - Chief Secretary, Vice-Chancellor (HPU), Principal Secretary (Health), Secretary (Education) and Principal of Tanda Medical College.

The founder trustees were supposed to nominate two more trustees, one from the Aman Kachroo movement, but nothing has been done in this direction too.

On November 11, last year, Chief Secretary Rajwant Sandhu convened the first meeting of this trust in her office, which was attended by all the founder trustees, besides the Director, Medical Education, and the proceedings were submitted to the government on December 12, 2010, for approval. Despite repeated reminders in January and April this year, the state government failed to grant an approval to these proceedings even after 11 months.

During a meeting on July 10, 2009, the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister PK Dhumal sanctioned an additional Rs 10 lakh for this trust, but till date not even a single penny was received by the trust.

Director, Medical Education, Jaishri Sharma, brushed the issue aside saying she knew nothing about it.

Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, DRPGMC, Tanda, said he had already requested the DME to take up matter with the government to release the approved grant to the trust.

Principal Secretary, Health, Ali Razvi said as he had taken over recently so he was not aware about the trust and its activities. When asked that Corps fund of Rs 50 lakh in five instalments was to be created and it looked the trust was a non-starter, Ali Razvi said he would look into the details of the trust and its progress and whatever was required to make this trust functional would be done. 

Chamba, November 5
The condition of the Chamba and Dalhousie-Pathankot highway is deteriorating as several portions of the highway are full of pot-holes and even without parapet walls, thereby causing fear to vehicle drivers. The highway has been in a bad shape for a long time, irritating tourists and transporters thronging to Dalhousie, Chamba, Khajjiar and Bharmour hill stations for holidaying.

A drive from Pathankot to Dalhousie reveals that the highway has become risky to drive, thereby hampering the tourist inflow to the picturesque hill stations of Dalhousie, Khajjiar, Chamba and Bharmour.

After the recent incessant rains in the region, roads have been damaged badly and it is difficult to ply light as well as heavy vehicles on these.

Certain portions between Dradda and Chamba had been metalled, officials stated. The 6-km patch from Dalhousie to Banikhet had been brought under tarring recently.

The Chamba and Dalhousie-Pathankot highway is the only lifeline which links the entire district with the outside world. Besides, it also sustains the heavy rush of vehicles belonging to various hydroelectric projects undertaken or commissioned by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh.

Moreover, rural roads and bridges are rapidly deteriorating, because of which the fatality rate arising out of frequent accidents has increased.

The road authorities, however, maintain that the state government has drawn a plan to fund road repairs and bridges maintenance in the district.

HP PWD, Dalhousie Circle, Superintending Engineer RS Choudhary informed over the phone that a long portion of the Chamba and Dalhousie-Pathankot highway from Goli to Katori Bungalow had been included in the plan to be renovated by next year.

The government had a meagre provision of hardly Rs 15 lakh for the upkeep of the highway, but since it was a deposit work, the NHPC had already deposited Rs 6.8 crore for its maintenance and facelift, the SE revealed.

Renuka Ji, November 5
The six-day International Renuka Ji Fair began here today with the traditional shobha yatra of Lord Parshuram being taken out across the town with religious fervour.

The fair, which was recently accorded the status of an international level, had earned a revenue of Rs 19 lakh on account of the 300 stalls set up there.

Deputy Commissioner Meera Mohanty took part in the shobha yatra which began after the palanqiun of Lord Parshuram and other deities were worshipped in the Dadahu school ground.

With the model code of conduct in vogue, Chief Minister PK Dhumal could not participate in the shobha yatra though he arrived later to offer prayers at the fair in the evening.

On the occasion of Devothaan Ekadashi, lakhs of devotees take a holy dip in the Renuka lake.

A six-day-long fair religious and cultural festival of Sirmaur district will be held in the evening of Kartik Purnima after performing Purnima puja on the bank of the Renuka lake.

A large number of people visit the Renuka fair every year to witness the pious meeting of son Parshuram and mother Bhagwati Renuka Ji. Lord Parshuram on the occasion of Devothan Ekadashi comes here from the Jamu Koti hill in a silver palanquin to meet his mother.

Shimla, November 5
The state high court has sought response from the Central Government, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the state government on the issue of providing common land for establishing the BSF battalion unit headquarters.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rajiv Sharma directed the respondent government to specifically mention in the reply as to why the headquarters could not be established on the places shown by petitioners in their petition.

Petitioners Partap Singh and Gurcharan Chaudhary have challenged the action of the state government.

They have filed the petition alleging that the state had transferred the common land vested under the Village Common Vesting Land Act for establishing the BSF unit headquarters.

The petitioners said the 17 panchayats of the area opposed this move of the government as the land in question was the lifeline of the locals, adding that their daily requirements were fulfilled from this land only.

The land has over 10,000 trees, village paths and natural drinking-water sources. In case the headquarters is established on this common land, the life of over 40,000 population would become miserable.

They added that huge vacant waste land was available in nearby villages and residents of that area were demanding for such establishments.

The court has directed the respondents to file reply by December 8.

Kangra, November 5
Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate First Class here yesterday issued notices to two BJP leaders and an editor of a Hindi daily to appear before the court on January 10, 2012, in connection with a defamation case filed by Vinay Sharma, a local advocate, under Sections 500 and 501, IPC, after the prima facie case was established against them before the court.

The Court of Neeha Kaisth, JMIC I, court No. II, yesterday issued notices to Ranjeet Pathania and Vinay Sharma, BJP district president and general secretary, respectively, besides to an editor of a Hindi daily on a private complaint filed by advocate Vinay Sharma, who had unsuccessfully contested the poll for the post of vice-president of the local MC during the elections in December 2010. The advocate was allegedly suspended by the duo from the primary membership of the BJP for six years for contesting elections against the official BJP candidate for the post of vice-president of the MC.

He had prayed before the court that he was not even the primary member of the BJP so the announcement of his alleged suspension from the party’s primary membership had damaged his reputation.

The court was convinced and the prima facie case was established against the three and notices were issued against them to appear before the court. — OC