Mandi, August 16
On the occasion of Independence Day, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh announced 8 per cent additional dearness allowance, worth Rs 400 crore, for government employees and pensioners with immediate effect and lowered the age limit for the skill development allowance beneficiary to 18 years to woo a major chunk of young vote bank ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He also promised good roads and responsive governance and inclusive growth.

The Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the Father of Nation at Gandhi Chowk, unfurled the Tricolor at the Paddal Maidan and took the salute of the march past presented by contingents of the police, home guards and NCC and NSS cadets.

Paying tributes to the martyrs, Virbhadra Singh said people of Himachal had remained at the forefront in the freedom struggle and made sacrifices to defend the country’s hard-won freedom.

In a boost to local industries, the Chief Minister said the state-of-art industrial hubs would be developed in Una, Solan and Kangra and a survey will be done to include Mandi and other districts as well. “We have a mechanism to clear projects in 90 days, while efforts are afoot with the Centre to restore the special industrial package to the state till 2020”, he said.

Thanking the Congress’s central leadership and the UPA government, he said: “The Congress has initiated policies and schemes for people, and IIT in Mandi and ESIC Medical College at Ner Chowk are the UPA’s gifts to them. I and my family have special attachment to people of Mandi,” he added.

Virbhadra Singh said Rs 2,291 crore would be spent this year to expand and strengthen the road network. “We will construct 475-km motorable road and 35 new bridges and connect 80 villages to roads this year,” he said

In an indirect attack on leader of opposition, PK Dhumal’s charge of “Badla-Badli”, Virbhadra Singh warned the BJP leaders that nobody would be spared in corruption cases and the corrupt would be brought to justice as per the law of the land.

He said the state government had implemented many of its poll promises in the past seven months. The state has allocated Rs 3,836 crore for education and the new policy has benefited over 10,000 teachers, he added.

He said social welfare schemes like the Mukhyamantri Kanayadan Yojana, Janani Suraksha Yojna, Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY) and others had a budge of Rs 1,371 crore this year. “Around 10,000 houses will be built for houseless

poor under RAY this year. Besides, Rs 1,014 crore under the SC Sub-plan and Rs 369 crore under Tribal Sub-plan will be spent on the weaker sections,” he added.

The social and security pensioners were getting Rs 500 and senior citizens above 80 years Rs 1,000 as monthly pension. Besides, 10,900 pending cases of pension had been approved, he added.

Shimla, August 16
The state has suffered losses worth more than Rs 2,900 crore due to flash floods and rains this monsoon.

Stating this while presiding over a review meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority here today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the monsoon set in early and the state experienced abnormally high rainfall between June 15 and 17. The precipitation was in excess of normal from 576 to 1,358 per cent as per the Indian Metrological Department (IMD). Kinnaur, which received 193.5 mm rain on June 17 against the normal of 0.7-mm, had suffered maximum damage. Heavy snowfall in the upper reaches added to the loss. Sirmour received 136.8 mm rainfall against the normal of 1.8 mm.

The Chief Minister said the functionaries of state government, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) and other agencies did commendable work to bring normalcy in the affected areas. He said that Rs 129.24 crore had been released from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for providing immediate relief out of which Rs. 57.57 crore had been placed at the disposal of Deputy Commissioners and Rs 71.76 crore had been given to various departments.

A memorandum on the losses had been presented to the Centre and a central team had already visited the state. Recently, a team of the 14th Finance Commission also visited Kinnaur. In all, 43 persons died, 23 in Kinnaur, seven in Shimla, five in Sirmour, four in Kangra, two in Mandi and one each in Chamba and Hamirpur.

Una, August 16
Four pilgrims from Taran Taran in Punjab were killed and 34 injured as the truck in which they were travelling fell into a 30-feet deep gorge on the Amb-Nehrian road today.

Sources said the driver of the truck lost control leading to the accident.

The four deceased have been identified as Kulvinder Singh, Harjinder Singh, Aakash and Sanno Devi. Thirteen of the critically injured victims were admitted to the Regional Government Hospital, Una, while the remaining 21 were administered medical aid at the Amb Hospital.

The Amb-Hamirpur national highway has been dug up for construction work thereby creating deep pits during monsoon.

Nehrian, where the Sikh shrine of Vadbagh Singh is located, receives a large number of pilgrims during monsoon. Devotees travel in trucks and tractor trolleys.

Every year several lives are lost in accidents, but the administration has failed to check the use of commercial vehicles to transport pilgrims. The practice continues despite the Department of Transport collecting Rs 40 lakh as fine from the commercial vehicles ferrying pilgrims in Una district.

The Una police has written to its counterparts in Punjab against allowing transportation of people in commercial vehicles in villagers but to no avail. 

Shimla, August 16
The government will spend over Rs 1,483 crore to implement new schemes and augment and maintain the old drinking water and irrigation schemes during the current financial year.

Stating this while presiding over the district-level Independence Day function, here on Thursday, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes said 2,500 habitations would be provided drinking water facility in the state during the period. She said Rs 14 crore would be spent on different water supply, irrigation and flood-control schemes, besides installing hand pumps. She said 106 hand pumps had already been installed.

She said construction of roads was the government’s priority and Rs 42 crore would be spent on the construction of bridges and roads in Shimla district. She said 13 more villages would be conncected with new roads of 43 km in length in the district.

Stokes said Rs 22 crore was being spent annually to provide social security pension to 35,516 persons in the district and 27 projects under the Integrated Water Management Programme were under implementation in 109 panchayats on which Rs 175 crore would be spent over the next five years.

She honoured achievers from various fields for their outstanding contribution on the occasion. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Nand Lal, MLA Sanjay Rattan, Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar, Water Management Board Vice-Chairman Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, State Congress Committee President Sukhvinder Singh Thakur, Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Malhotra, senior officers and prominent people were present on the occasion.

In the evening, Governor Urmila Singh was ‘At Home’ to the elite of Shimla town at the Raj Bhawan to mark the Independence Day. 

Mandi, August 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh honoured 29 persons, including young adventurers who conquered Mount Everest, a special child medallist and others, who have brought laurels to the state in the fields of development, social work and sports on Independence Day here.

Chairman, Zila Parishand, Kullu, Hari Chand, was awarded Rs one lakh for bagging the first position in the field of rural development in the country for the last two years. He carried out work at the grassroots level in the district.

The young mountaineers who conquered the Mount Everest this year; Chering Dawa, Ashwani Kumar, Khimi Ram, Rajat, all enrolled at the government senior school, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, were given a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each. Ajay Sohal, a student of Lawrence School, Sanawar, was part of the Mt Everest expedition of the school in May this year.

Head constables Pardeep Kumar, Virender Singh of the ITBP were awarded cash prizes of Rs 50,000 each for conquering Mount Everest in May 2013. They had accompanied the government school expedition team.

Jagdish, a special child from Sahyog School, Nagchalla in Mandi was awarded Rs 25,000 cash prize for winning a bronze medal in the snow-boarding championship at the World Winter Games 2013, organised at Pveong Chang, Korea. National youth awardees; Gurmit Kaur (Kullu) and Baser Dass Harnot (Suni) were also honoured.

Chief Minister also honoured school students from Mandi district for winning medals at the national games. These included, Virender Kumar, a gold medallist in boxing, Meena, a silver medallist in judo, Krishna, a bronze medallist and Saurav, a silver medallist in boxing, Pooja Thakur, a silver medallist in volleyball and Gurvanti for winning a bronze medal in boxing championship.

As many as 13 members of a rescue team, the rafting operators based at Jhiri, were also awarded for saving the lives of 30 passengers in a bus accident near Jhiri in Mandi district in May last. They plunged into the Beas river in their rafts and rescued them.

Bilaspur, August 16
At the district-level function on Independence Day, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail distributed cash prizes among students from the district who excelled in various sports and brought laurels to the state.

Abhishek Pathak of Kothi Batla village, who excelled at National School Games in Chennai and Shilpa Sharma of Badaun village (Ghumarwin tehsil) who saved her younger brother from the jaws of a leopard, were each given cash prizes of Rs 500 and a commendation certificate.

Hitesh Thakur, village Khali, who got bronze in the National Rural Games in boxing at Aurangabad, and Sonu, who got a bronze medal in the National School Games in Madhya Pradesh, was given Rs 5,600 each.

Abhishek Pathak, who got a silver medal in 100 m and a bronze medal in 200 m in the National School Games at Chennai and another bronze medal in the National School Games at Bhopal in Foot Ball, was given a prize of Rs 8,600.

The Speaker also honoured special children who got gold, silver and bronze medals in the Winter Olympics for special persons held at Peong Cheng in Korea last winter.

They included Pooja Kumari of Behna Brahmana, Anita of Auhar, Pooja Sharma of Bakroa, Sunil Kumari of Behran and Vinod of Luharwin. They were given a cash prize of Rs 25,000 each.

Earlier, the chief guest paid floral tributes at the Martyrs Memorial in Bilaspur district.

Solan, August 16
District-level Independence Day was celebrated at Thodo Ground in Solan with great enthusiasm and fervour. Dr Dhani Ram Shandi, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, unfurled the Tricolour and took salute. An impressive march past was presented by the contingents of police, home guard, NCC, NSS and school children.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Shandil said the present government had given special emphasis to uplift the poor section of society. The financial assistance under the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna and the State Awas Yojna had been enhanced from Rs. 48,500 to Rs 7,500. Ten thousand houses would be constructed during this financial year to houseless poor families in the state. A provision of Rs.175 crore has been made for providing subsidized ration under public distribution system to all ration card holders, he added

He said Rs 1,371 crore was being spent on social security services during the current financial year which was 34 per cent of the total state plan. The social security pension has been enhanced to Rs 500 and all 10,900 pending pension cases were given approval after coming to power.

He said the per capita income had touched Rs 82,611 in comparison to Rs 240 which was prevailing in 1948. The literacy rate was 83.78 per cent in comparison to seven per cent in 1948.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Vinay Kumar unfurled the national flag and took salute of a parade at Nahan.

A colourful cultural programme was presented by schoolchildren to mark the occasion.

Earlier, he also paid floral tributes at Shaheed Memorial in Nahan town. Local MLA Dr. Rajiv Bindal, Deputy Commissioner, Vikas Labroo, SP, Sumedha Diwedi were among those present on the occasion. 

Hamirpur, August 16
A modern bus stand will be built here, Transport, Food Civil Supplies and Technical Education Minister, GS Bali, announced this while addressing a gathering after unfurling the national flag at a district-level Independence Day function here yesterday.

He said, “A modern bus stand for Hamirpur will be built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, the master plan for which has already been prepared, besides developing a commercial complex at the present bus stand.”

After paying tribute to martyrs and great leaders who had contributed in the progress of the state, the minister said the state was emerging as a model state of development.

He said the Indian Institute of Information Technology in public-private sector with a budget of Rs 120 is being set up at Una, for which 60 acre land has been acquired.

The minister said a hydro-engineering college was also being set up at Bandla in Bilasur district with the help of the NHPC and NTPC, and a similar college will be started in Kangra also.

Bali also announced to launch Chief Minister transport scheme for unemployed youth. He said Baba Balak Nath-Golden temple bus service will also be started from Deoth Sidh to Amritsar.

Earlier, the minister took salute at a march past by the police, the home guards and troupes of school children.

The minister also honoured freedom fighters and sportspersons from the district at the function. A cultural programme was also presented on the occasion.

Independence Day was also celebrated at the district courts complex where District and Sessions Judge, CL Kochhar unfurled the national flag.

Mandi, August 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s announcement that efforts are on to start the Employee Service Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College at Ner Chowk from the 2014 academic session has woken up the lethargic ESIC, as it has yet to move an application to the Medical Council of India (MCI) even as the last date for the same is August 31.

The ESIC Medical College may miss the deadline this time as the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which governs the ESIC, is yet to sign an MoU with the state government, over attaching a 300-bedded Mandi Zonal Hospital to the ESIC Medical College, to start is first batch in 2014.

The Chief Minister made this announcement during his Independence Day address at the state-level function here. “The government wants to start the medical college from the 2014 academic session as the ESIC is on the last phase of completing the work,” he added.

But the construction company building the ESIC Medical College is yet to finish the building as the work has been moving on a slow pace. The ESIC has yet to set up machineries and equipments in the hospital. It would take another year to complete the work, revealed insiders.

As many as 100 students had already been deprived of being enrolled as medicos in 2013 and the same can happen in 2014 also, as the ESIC had yet to apply to the MCI to start its first batch in 2014, revealed the sources.

The super specialty 500-beded ESIC Medical College and Hospital is already running three years behind its schedule. The ESIC’s medical commissioner had done a survey of the faculty positions at the Zonal Hospital recently. Barring a few vacancies, it found suitable to start the medical college, the sources revealed.

The ESIC Medical College will enrol 100 students for MBBS - 40 from state, 40 from the open pool and 20 seats reserved for the ESIC employees - who come under Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The ESIC started its medical college at Gulbarga in Karnataka last year by attaching the government hospital to it. But the ESIC and the Himachal government have not signed the MoU till now even as the August 31 deadline is just two weeks away.

Dean, ESIC Medical College, Dr DS Dhiman, said: “Efforts are on as the ministry is yet to give its permission and the state government has to attach the Zonal Hospital. The faculty position can be improved and Zonal Hospital fulfils MCI condition to start the first batch in 2014.” 

Dharamsala, August 16
The implementation of the Food Security Bill in the state may be delayed. The minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Technical Education and Transport, gave this information while talking to mediapersons here today.

Earlier, the Food Security Bill, in which 36 lakh residents of the state were to be provided food at subsidised rates, was to be implemented from August 20. The minister said since the Centre had withdrawn the ordinance on food security and introduced the Bill, the launch of the food security programme had been delayed.

Now the Food Security Bill will be introduced in the state after it was passed in Parliament, he said.

Besides, since the monsoon session of the Assembly was about to begin, the state did not want to launch the programme in a hurry, Bali said.

The minister said the site selected by the previous government for state technical university in Hamirpur was not appropriate. “I have directed the officials of Department of Technical Education to look for another site for the technical university.” Bali said the preference will be given to the district while selecting a new site for the university.

Speculation has been rife that the technical university may be shifted out of Hamirpur by the present Congress government as the area is considered to be a citadel of former BJP CM Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Bali said two sites had been selected for Transport Nagar in Hamirpur. 

Shimla, August 16
Accusing the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) of including a majority of non-Hiamchalis as its life members, the CPM today alleged that there was a close nexus between the sports body and the real estate builders, which must be probed.

In a statement issued here today, member of the state secretariat of the CPM, Tikender Panwar, demanded that the state government must probe whether these 25 members were life members of the HPCA, a society or the company floated by them. “A glimpse at the list gives a clear picture that out of the 23 life members who are alive, 15 are non-Himachalis and six hail from Jalandhar which establishes a strong Punjab connection,” he alleged.

Panwar also said it clearly established that a large number of the life members were either members of the BJP or close relatives of the party leaders. “Another fact which is very evident is that that there exists a very strong nexus between real estate builders and life members of the HPCA,” he alleged.

Some of the lifetime functionaries were also those who constructed the Dharamshala stadium, he added. “It is in this background that the CPM urges the government to step up the probe and expedite the case,” he stated. 

Shimla, August 16
Terming the charge of political vendetta a part of the BJP’s diversionary tactics, the Congress has alleged that its leaders were trying to create pressure on the investigating agencies by making baseless insinuations.

Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, in a joint statement here today, debunked the so-called “Badla Badli virodh campaign” of the BJP as an attempt to distract the public attention from the wrongdoings of its leaders which were under investigation.

Taking a strong exception to the statement of Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal warning officers of dire consequences, they said if he could issue such threats while being in the opposition, one can imagine what he would have been doing to his opponents and adversaries while in power.

They alleged that Dhumal and his family were using the BJP as a cover to hide their misdeeds. The minister added that irked by the dictatorial family show of Dhumal, many prominent founder leaders of the BJP had deserted the party. BJP leaders were being haunted by their misdeeds and if they had committed no wrong, they need not fear, the ministers said.

Investigations were being carried out on the basis of the charge sheet of the Congress, which has been handed over to the Vigilance Department for the probe.

Not even a single case has been registered against any office bearer or BJP MLA. Investigation against Krishan Kapoor, a former minister was being conducted on the orders of the High Court. The case against Rajiv Bindal, MLA was an old case pending prosecution sanction.

Similarly, in case of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) headed by Anurag Thakur, they said the investigation was being carried as per the orders of the court.

They alleged that the BJP government could not find land for the Central University at Dharamshala, but there was no shortage of land for the HPCA.

They further alleged that it was the BJP regime that tried to implicate its opponents in false cases and in the Sagar Katha case, Virbhadra Singh was given a clean chit by the Supreme Court. He was also given a clean chit by the CBI on the 24-point charge sheet against Virbhadra Singh submitted by the Dhumal government. In his recent tenure, the Dhumal made false cases against Virbhadra Singh and other Congress leaders and harassed them for full five years, they alleged.

Bilaspur, August 16
The state BJP unit has strongly opposed and condemned the orders of the Chief Minister to the district administration to immediately remove all Bhakra Dam oustees, who had encroached upon the government land, here in the town. BJP MLA and state general secretary Randhir Sharma while talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House here today, in the presence of several other leaders, said: “This is very much against tall claims of the Congress party that it has always provided benefits to oustees, who have given their all for building of the Bhakra Dam, thereby contributing to national development. Such oustees, who were uprooted 50-year ago, are still facing hosts of difficulties due to government lapses.”

Sharma said this had clearly proved that the then Congress leaders had only shed crocodile tears to garner votes of lakhs of Bhakra Dam oustees of this district. They never had any sympathy or goodwill for them, he added.

He said had the Chief Minister some compassion for these oustees, he definitely would have thought several times before issuing such orders, which would uproot thousands of unfortunate families once again as all of them had encroached upon land due to the compulsion of the expansion of their families during the past 50 years. Sharma said: “No family can adjust in just 1,800 square plot given to them in the name of rehabilitation.”

“A policy has already been approved by the former Dhumal Cabinet for regularisation of these encroachments. Rules were being finalised when the election code was enforced and matter was stalled there,” he added.

He said the government should legalise these occupations as was also directed by the Himachal Pradesh High Court after the Dhumal government gave an affidavit to this effect in the high court.

Sharma warned that any removal of encroachments in the town would be sternly resisted. He said a mass agitation to thwart this anti-people act of the government would also be held.

Solan, August 16
A large number of people today protested against the absence of a gynaecologist at the First Referral Unit (FRU), Nalagarh, from where as many as nine pregnant women had to be referred to other hospitals.

Locals said it was unfortunate that the only gynaecologist in Nalagarh FRU, who was deputed after a gap of about six years, was directed to go to the Solan Regional Hospital for some days thus leaving the Nalagarh FRU post vacant.

There was only one gynaecologist catering to a population of several thousands in city here. As many as nine cases were lined up for today but the pregnant women were directed to go elsewhere for child birth.

The poor people were forced to spend thousands on deliveries in private clinics. They were charged as much as Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 for each case. Some people refused to go as being poor they could not incur the heavy expenditure. They protested against the absence of the doctor concerned today.

Narrating their plight patients’ family members Parvesh, Narinder and Madal Lal said they were referred to other hospitals on the plea that there was no gynaecologist in the hospital.

The peeved relatives gheraoed doctors and raised slogans against the health authorities for failing to provide a gynaecologist even after six years.