Dharamsala, December 16
The six-day winter session of the Vidhan Sabha began on a stormy note with BJP members staging a noisy protest after Speaker BB Butail rejected their adjournment motion over charges against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and other issues.

Pandemonium prevailed as the BJP members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans throughout the sitting. The matter was raised by Mohinder Singh as the House assembled. He urged the Speaker to take up an adjournment motion for which a notice had been given by the party members.

Butail said he had received the notice at 12.30 pm and it was under consideration and he would give his ruling afterwards.

Thereafter, Ravinder Ravi, Suresh Bhardwaj and some other members also joined the issue and insisted that serious charges had been levelled against the head of the government and there were several important matters which required to be discussed immediately.

Intervening immediately, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Agnihotri pointed out that under the rules, only one important issue could be discussed during the adjournment motion, but the BJP members had clubbed several issues and it could not be allowed.

Health Minister Kaul Singh said the Opposition had the right to bring the adjournment motion but it had to follow rules. However, this did not satisfy the BJP members and they started raising slogans and the treasury benches retaliated with counter slogans.

The din continued even after the Speaker said he would get a report from the government about the issues.

Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal said the issues were important and interconnected as inflation and unemployment were related to corruption. The notice should have been either rejected at the outset or accepted. The Speaker had to take a call and decide the matter forthwith. He said the Public Distribution System had failed and the Chief Minister was speaking in a threatening tone against those making charges against him. The government was not functioning in accordance with the law.

The Speaker finally rejected the notice for the adjournment motion and ruled that it was not as per the rules. Instead of taking up a single matter, four or five issues had been clubbed and it could not be allowed.

This further infuriated the BJP members who trooped into the well of the House and started raising slogans. The Speaker proceeded with question hour and completed the listed business amid the din of slogans.

Dharamsala, December 16
Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal today said the BJP would continue with its protest until the issues being raised by it were discussed.

Interacting with mediapersons after the session, he said the Congress was shying away from having a discussion on important issues as it had no answers to the questions being raised on the issue of corruption, political vendetta and functioning of the government.

The party did not have the guts to discuss issues in the House. The public distribution system had collapsed and people were not getting subsidised ration regularly ever since the Congress came to power. The prices were skyrocketing and corruption had become rampant. Touts were active everywhere but the government was busy in settling political scores and it had made “badla and badli” its main theme.

The BJP had decided to raise all issues in the House, but the ruling party was not willing for a discussion.

If everything was fine with the government and the charges were false, there was no reason for not having a discussion on the adjournment motion. The Congress rule had been marked by rampant corruption, political vendetta and injustice. Questions were being raised but the government was not responding. The public was waiting for answers.

Let there be a discussion and the BJP would come out with documents to support the issues being raised by it. The government should also put forward it point of view so that facts come into the public domain.

He said the law and order situation was deteriorating and anti-social elements had been emboldened to such an extent that only last night, an Army jawan was murdered at nearby Dadh despite elaborate security arrangements made by the administration for the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha. The law and order situation was a matter of concern, but the government would not discuss it.

Dharamsala, December 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today asserted that the government would not be cowed by protests and would ensure that charges against the Dhumal regime were investigated and taken to a logical conclusion.

He said the investigations being carried out by the Vigilance Department into the chargesheet submitted by the Congress high command to the President of India had unnerved BJP leaders and they were now indulging in such disruptive tactics to divert the attention from their misdeeds. They were feeling the heat as the investigations were making progress in various cases.

He said he had no personal agenda and there was no question of political vendetta as he was not even the part of the chargesheet committee. It was made a part of party manifesto and poll agenda and the people gave its mandate to the Congress which had to be honoured.

The BJP had been virtually dead after its defeat in the Assembly polls and had been emboldened by the recent victory in some states and now adopting aggressive postures. However, the Lok Sabha polls were not far away and the party would be shown its place in the state.

Referring to the charges being levelled against him, he said, "I don't care two hoots for what happens to me but I will not be distracted from investigating the acts of commission and omission and taking matters to logical end,"

Investigating charges did not mean that innocent persons would be victimised, cases would be pursued only if there was evidence of wrongdoings. It was the former Chief Minister PK Dhumal who pursued political vendetta against opponents.

Dhumal had framed him in false cases twice, in the Sagar Katha case in his first term and CD case in the second term. He did not make it a public issue and faced trials in the court in both cases and came out unscathed.

In the CD case, evidence was fabricated to frame him in a false case, but he was acquitted by the court.

He said the BJP was a fascist party with the dictatorial mindset and did not believe in debate, discussion and democratic functioning. 

Dharamsala, December 16
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes today said the BJP, showered favours on the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) while in power, was so keen to defend it that it had been virtually reduced to be a spokesperson of the sports body.

In a statement here today, she said the BJP was no longer functioning as a political party but a front of the HPCA which was given land worth over Rs 200 crore by the Dhumal government.

It was a grave impropriety on his parts to give huge chunks of land to the sports body. Now the same people were using the entire BJP to defend the misdeeds of the HPCA, she added.

She said not only the state BJP but also the high command of the party owed an explanation to the people what was its compulsions to defend a corrupt sports body. It had spread corruption across the state during the BJP regime and now those who indulged in graft should be ready to face the music. 

Shimla, December 16
The Tourism Department will implement the Comprehensive Motor and Mobility Plan in the famous temple towns, Naina Devi, Kangra and Chintpurni, with thousands of pilgrims making a beeline to these towns everyday.

It is with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) is to be implemented in these towns, which are frequented by a large number of pilgrims, especially from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

With a majority of these pilgrims using various forms of the transport, including buses, taxis, jeeps and trucks, there is an urgent need to have proper parking and streamlining of vehicular movement.

The Tourism Department has received 24 bids against the Expression of Interest (EOI) that had been floated by the department. "After evaluation of these bids, we have forwarded these to the ADB for the approval. Once the approval is given, the technical and financial bids from the shortlisted companies will be invited," said an official.

The stampede that resulted in the death of 146 pilgrims at Naina Devi on August 3, 2008, too had prompted the state government to initiate some steps, but the Comprehensive Mobility Plan will address all issues related to the smooth movement of traffic and parking. The plan will also cover issues such as water requirement, sanitation, sewage and assessment of the accommodation available at the shrines.

Though the government is trying to promote tourism, most of the popular destinations, including Shimla, lack adequate parking facilities, leading to traffic snarls and congestion. It was almost a decade back that Himachal had sought assistance and guidance from the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to develop its Shaktipeeth on the same pattern.

With temple tourism being a major component of the overall tourism scenario in the state, the government will have to manage its temple towns in a better fashion. Since a majority of the pilgrims visiting these shrines travel on a shoestring budget, it becomes all the more imperative to have better traffic management and maintain cleanliness and hygiene.

With internationally renowned shrines of Vaishno Devi, Tirupati and Shirdi being so well-managed by shrine boards and trusts, the Tourism Department in association with the Language, Art and Culture Department will have to do a lot to not only attract pilgrims but also make their stay comfortable. 

Solan, December 16
State Drug Controller Navneet Marwaha has been chosen as the Best Drug Control Officer-2013 in the country by the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), a conglomerate of various pharmaceutical manufacturers across the country.

Ravi Uday, general secretary, All-India Drug Control Officers Confederation, said the award would be given during the inauguration of the 65th IPC at Noida.

He said the recipient of this award was selected on the basis of several parameters such as performance, key achievements, effective regulation, additional achievements, qualification, etc, The applications received from all over the country were scrutinised on the basis of these by a three-member committee. He said since one-third of the drug manufacturing was attributed to Himachal, maintaining strict regulation was a Herculean task.

Drug Controller General of India Dr GN Singh said Marwaha was an efficient officer who managed to effectively regulate the pharmaceutical industry.

SL Singla, president, Drug Manufacturers Association, said since Himachal accounted for housing the highest number of pharmaceutical industries in the country, the award would boost the regulatory body.

The HP Association of Drug Control Officers’ Association has also welcomed the news. 

Shimla, December 16
The BJP today asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the Congress to clarify its stand on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose contribution for ensuring the unity and integrity of the country is remembered by the nation.

In a statement issued here today, state BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt took a strong exception to the statement of Virbhadra Singh that the BJP indulged in politics either in the name of Lord Rama or Patel. "We want to know from the Chief Minister whether the Congress recognises the contribution that Patel made in ensuring the merger of 565 princely states or not," he said.

He said the BJP would always hold such great leaders and nationalists in high esteem and pay rich tributes to them. "It is so strange that when the entire nation is joining hands to pay tribute to Patel, the Congress is trying to politicise the issue," he lamented.

He said rather than politicising the issue and being jealous of Narendra Modi, the Congress too should pay tribute to such leaders. 

Shimla, December 16
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will map the biodiversity in the urban forest area of the city and prepare a "bio-diversity register" of flora and fauna to harness bio-resources.

Anup Vaid, Chairman, Biodiversity Management Committee, SMC, said they had a meeting today and decided to launch the biodiversity mapping project. "We will map flora and fauna and medicinal herbs in the municipal area and in the vicinity and charge the fees from users," he added.

Member-secretary of the committee Arun Sirckek said the Biodiversity Act 2002 would be applied to the corporation area to preserve and protect biodiversity. "We will liaise with the various stakeholders, including organisations and institutions, to get benefits of biodiversity in a sustained manner," he added.

Assistant Commissioner, SMC, Naresh Thakur said the SMC committee would prepare a biodiversity register of the flora and fauna.

The meeting was attended by councillors Deepak Rohal, Narender Thakur, Rajni Singh and Kanta Suyal and two experts Dr SV Bhardwaj and Sushil Sharma.

Kangra, December 16
Five ear surgeries were performed today at Zonal Hospital in Dharamsala on the second day of the two-day ENT camp organised by the local branch of Vivekananda Kendra. 

The surgeries were performed by Dr Sanjay Sachdeva, Director, ENT, Max Group of Hospitals. He was assisted during the surgery by Dr Chakervarty and Dr Bindoo Sood. — OC

Shimla, December 16
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) has sought a reply by December 28 from the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) that has been accused of constructing two buildings, toilets and a passage to the cricket academy at Lal Pani, which lies in the green area of the city. The association did not take prior permission from the corporation.

A view of the HPCA cricket academy at Lal Pani in Shimla on Monday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

The team, led by Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar, inspected the passage to the HPCA-run cricket academy at Lal Pani and closed it immediately.

“The path constructed by the cricket body was different from what they showed in the map and it was hampering public movement. The MC Colony lies near the cricket academy,” said Panwar.

Panwar said they had asked the Municipal Commissioner to take action against the management of the academy as the passage was illegally constructed.

The MC had already slapped a notice under Sections 242 and 253 of the Municipal Act, 1994, on the HPCA-run academy accusing it of constructing a four-storey building, a two-storey building and toilets on the premises without mandatory approval from the MC. The academy lies in the green area of the city and the land measuring about 9,000 square metre was given to the HPCA by the previous BJP government in 2011-12, claimed municipal officials.

The HPCA, headed by Anurag Thakur, Member of Parliament, Hamirpur, and son of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, is also accused of dumping debris in the green area after constructing the buildings without approval. “We are initiating the proceedings for dumping of debris in the green forest area as it was causing soil erosion on the slope,” said Panwar.

The HPCA academy is run by the Shimla Cricket Association, which claimed to have enrolled 52 boys and six girls for coaching. “It is wrong to block the passage to the academy as it would hamper the movement of 58 trainees. The academy has already been closed for maintenance,” said Surender Thakur, president, Shimla Cricket Association and vice-president of the HPCA.

Surender said they would file the reply at the MC Commissioner’s office on December 28. “It is unfortunate that the academy has run into controversy as it has contributed to the promotion of the cricket in the city,” he added. Municipal Commissioner Amarjeet Singh said the matter was pending as they had sought a reply from the cricket body.

Shimla, December 16
The Student Federation of Indian (SFI) and the right-wing students union ABVP today slammed the HP University for stopping re-evaluation of answer scripts under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

They demanded a rollback or they would launch a stir against the decision as that would do injustice to students in the state.

In different press statements issued by the SFI and ABVP today, the student leaders claimed the university had taken the decision to do away with the practice of re-evaluation. "It is the right of every student to apply for re-evaluation of his/her answer-sheets if there is dissatisfaction with the marks awarded," they stated.

SFI state secretary Puneet Dhanta said the university was playing with the future of students as it was implementing RUSA in a hurry. Many questions were printed wrongly in many question papers.

"The study material and mark-sheets are not being given to students in time and the university is taking anti-students decision," he alleged.

ABVP state secretary Ajay Thakur stated that they have condemned the decision and termed it anti-students. The university should maintain status quo, he demanded.

Shimla, December 16
The state government has defended its decision regarding the purchase of 10-inch laptops for distribution to meritorious students in the state, saying these were of very good quality. It further told the High Court that if the state provides 14-inch laptop to the students, it would burden them with 2 crores extra on the state exchequer. It further contended in its reply submitted before the High Court that 10-inch laptops were easy to carry for the students.

According to the government, these laptops are being distributed to 5,000 meritorious students of classes X and XII.

The state has filed this reply on the petition wherein it was stated that the government is going to purchase laptops for distribution to the meritorious students in the state in total disregard of the opinion of technical experts and required specifications. The petition further alleged that the purchase of the outdated 10-inch notebook will adversely affect the health of the students, particularly the eyes as they are of small dimensions.

Hearing this matter for some time, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmed Mir and Justice Kuldip Singh adjourned the case for further hearing on December 23 on the request of the counsel for the petitioner.

It was further alleged that the Managing Director of the HP State Electronic Development Corporation had invited a tender for the purchase of a laptop, but the tender issued by him was not in accordance with the mandatory specifications.

It further alleged that the respondents, with ulterior motives behind favouring a particular company, were compromising with the standard specifications and quality in purchase of laptops, completely ignoring the fact that use of such sub-standard laptops would adversely affect the students' health.

Kangra, December 16
The Department of Paediatrics, DRPGMC, Tanda, in collaboration with the Himachal Chapter of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, organised a two-day conference-cum-CME in the Sobha Singh Auditorium which concluded last night.

Transport Minister GS Bali stressed doctors to raise the standard of patientcare in the state. He said the government was committed to promoting mother and child health under various health schemes.

Principal Dr Anil Chauhan emphasised the role of such conferences in stimulating teaching, training and research in the campus.

Prof Sanjeev Chaudhary, HoD, paediatrics, said experts from Advanced Paediatrics Centre, PGI, Chandigarh, and IGMC, Shimla, deliberated on various problems among children. About 100 delegates participated in the conference.

Dr BR Thapa, head paediatric gastroenterology, PGI, said liver transplant facility, now available at PGIMER, had revolutionised the outcome with 90 per cent survival of some diseases previously thought untreatable.

The conference concluded with the election to new body of the Himachal Academy of Paediatrics with Dr Rakesh Sharma elected as president and Dr Pancham as general secretary for the year 2014-15.

Palampur, December 16
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said the state government was committed to provide better healthcare services to people of the state. He said the government had already begun the process of modernising health services in the state.

He said private sector had also been involved and laboratory, X-ray, ultrasound, CT Scan and MRI services had been outsourced by the government so that services were made available 24 hours a day at the hospitals.

He said Indira Gandhi and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical Colleges at Shimla and Tanda would be made the best health institutions of the state and be provided with all facilities so that serious patients were not referred to other health institutions outside the state.

Singh, who was talking to reporters here yesterday, said all vacant posts of specialists, super-specialists and para-medical staff in the state hospitals and medical colleges would be filled up soon.

The minister said the state government had already enhanced the salaries of MBBS and PG doctors. The minister categorically stated that things moved from bad to worse in the BJP regime because of the defective recruitment policy of doctors.

He said PG doctors left state services and the BJP government made no efforts to retain them. He said now, the present government had changed the recruitment policy and thereafter, more doctors had joined the state services.

Besides, the state government had also urged the MCI to enhance MBBS and PG seats in the two medical colleges of state to clear the backlog. Singh said the state still needed medical specialists, gynecologists, radiologists and surgeons.

Nurpur, December 16
The police intercepted six tractor-trolleys, loaded with sand and gravel, at Mand Surdwana in Indora sub-division and challaned the owners for illegal mining.

DSP Rajiv Atre said a police team, led by SHO, Indora, Balbir Singh, conducted a raid in the Mand area and caught six tractor-trolleys. A sum of Rs 32,500 was recovered as penalty under the Mining Act from the offenders.

Kangra, December 16
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today paid rich tributes to the brave soldiers who had made supreme sacrifices during the freedom struggle. He said people of the country were indebted to them and a war museum would be established at the War Memorial in Dharamsala as a befitting tribute to them.

The Chief Minister attended the function organised by the Sainik Welfare Department at the War Memorial, Dharamsala, to commemorate the Vijay Diwas today.

He said valiant soldiers of the state had always led in making sacrifices for the cause of the motherland.

He said a brief description of all the martyrs would be highlighted at the war museum for which an expert committee would be constituted. He announced Rs 2 crore for the construction of the war museum, adding that the foundation stone would be laid soon.

Virbhadra said 195 brave soldiers of the state laid down their lives during the Indo-Pakistan in 1971. He said 14 Himachali soldiers had been conferred with Mahavir Chakra, 61 with Vir Chakra and 1,140 had sacrificed their lives for the country.

He announced that all Congress MLAs and Associate Members would contribute Rs 3 lakh each from their MLA fund for the purpose.

Virbhadra said the state government was implementing various schemes for the welfare of soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families. The Shaurya Chakra winners were being provided free travel facility in the state and the amount of Yudh Jagir had been enhanced from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 from April 1, 2013. Similarly, VAT had been reduced from 4 per cent to 2 per cent in CSD canteens.

He said the social security pension for ex-servicemen and their widows had also been enhanced from Rs 400 to Rs 500.

The Chief Minister honoured and presented a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Shaurya Chakra recipient Capt Dinesh Kumar, who hails from the Jubbal area of Shimla district. Capt Dinesh showed exemplary act of bravery in fighting the intruders in Assam in 2012.

Nurpur, December 16
The Himachal Pradesh Ayurvedic Doctors (Unemployed) Association has alleged that the State Health and Family Welfare Department was violating the operational guidelines of the Centrally-sponsored National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Yogesh Raina, who was elected state president of the association in the biennial elections held here yesterday, accused the department of misusing NRHM funds and violating the health policy of the Government of India.

He said contrary to the NRHM guidelines to give Rs 20,000 as monthly salary to Ayurvedic doctors, they were being disbursed only Rs 15,300.

“Despite 500 recommended by the NRHM, only 150 doctors have been appointed. As per the guidelines, Ayurvedic doctors are to be appointed in the Civil Hospitals and Community Health Centres of the urban areas, but the Health Department is making appointments only in the Primary Health Centres of the rural areas. As a sequel, populated areas are being deprived of ayurvedic treatment,” 
he lamented.

Taking a strong exception of 56 transfers of ayurvedic doctors ordered by the Principal Secretary, Health, Raina termed it unconstitutional and claimed that ayurvedic doctors could be transferred by the secretary of the Ayurveda Department. He urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to intervene and ensure that the state Health Department should adhere to the operational guidelines of the National Rural Health Mission.

Bilaspur, December 16
A Bilaspur Sadar Mandal BJP committee meeting expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the district. Members said higher government officials were openly being threatened and coerced into submission to whims and illegal orders of a local politician.

They said despite several complaints, the police have turned a mute spectator.

Mandal general secretary Pyare Lal Chaudhary said the meeting, presided over by mandal president Kuldip Singh Thakur, condemned such incidents saying a few weeks ago, a woman police official was threatened at a chowk by the politician for challaning his cousin, who was driving a motorcycle without a helmet.

District Excise and Taxation Officer Arun Katoch was threatened and forced to apologise for objecting to mid-road parking of a car of the same politician with its flashlights on.

A woman official was threatened with dire consequences if she did not release two buses which she had impounded in a raid.

The members said despite reports to the police, no action had been taken in any of the cases.

They urged the CM to intervene and take a strict action against the guilty. The Chief Minister should act on his declarations and statements that law and order would be maintained. The members expressed concern over the mismanagement at the Regional Hospital and alleged that suppliers were selling medicines at will.

Chamba, December 16
A one-day training programme on environment cleanliness and education awareness was organised at an outlying Tikrigarh panchayat falling in Churah sub-division of Chamba district under the aegis of Nehru Yuva Kendra on Sunday.

In the training programme, the orators gave comprehensive information about self-employment and other development schemes launched by the government.

They threw light on implementation of government schemes relating to education so that the rural children are not deprived of their right to education.

Nehru Yuva Kendra officials, teachers and representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions in the area participated in the training programme.