H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Himachal panel reviews steps
SHIMLA, Aug 22 — The Himachal Government has set up a subcommittee to plan a strategy for the transportation of apples and timely supply of empty boxes to flood-affected areas of Kinnaur.

Barot fire, 2 bank men held
MANDI, Aug 22 — With the unlocking of the fire-proof chest of the Gramin Bank last evening, the clue to the alleged possibility of setting afire the commercial complex at Barot, is claimed to have been found.

Punjab farmers grab Himachal land
NALAGARH, Aug 22 — Influential persons from Punjab have reportedly encroached on some 400 acres of shamlat and forest land of Nalagarh subdivision of Himachal Pradesh. The encroached land has precious timber worth crores, of which a major portion may have already been cut and sold illegally.

Deceased’s kin writes to Governor
SUNDERNAGAR, Aug 22 — In a significant move, family members of deceased Karam Singh, SE in the Irrigation and Public Health Department, who had committed suicide last year in June and had mentioned the name of a minister, in his suicide note, have written a letter to the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to accord sanction to prosecute the minister. 

Stray cattle rule Parwanoo roads
PARWANOO, Aug 22 — With post-rain thick growth of vegetation, it’s time for stray cattle to be seen everywhere in this township. There can be seen squatting on the roads and the national highway. There is no way you can move these. The traffic is adversely affected everywhere, especially near the Circuit House and Shiwalic hotel on the national Highway.

Lawyers block traffic
NURPUR, Aug 22 — Striking members of the local bar association today blocked traffic on Pathankot-Mandi national highway for over half an hour at Niazpur. They also burnt the effigies of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and the Revenue Minister, Mr Rajan Sushant, in protest against the amended Sections 23A, 37 and 46 of the new Land Revenue Act which came into force on August 16.

Interim bail for mill MD
SHIMLA, Aug 22 — A single Bench of the high court consisting of Mr Justice R.K. Khurana has granted interim bail to Mr Davinder Kumar Jain, Managing Director of M/s Sidhartha Super Spinning Mills Ltd., at Nalagarh. He has allegedly defaulted in not depositing the employer’s share in the provident fund of the employees.

Gambling on the rise in Nalagarh
NALAGARH, Aug 22 — Gambling has increased in Nalagarh and Baddi-Barotiwala, with locals, especially rehri vendors, obsessed with the idea of becoming rich overnight.

Janamashtami to be celebrated today
PARWANOO, Aug 22 — Staff of the Assistant Commissioner’s office and the Nagar Parishad have decided to celebrate the Janamashtami on August 23. The celebrations will start at 5.30 p.m. with kirtan and bhajans.

Himachal panel reviews steps
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 22 — The Himachal Government has set up a subcommittee to plan a strategy for the transportation of apples and timely supply of empty boxes to flood-affected areas of Kinnaur.

Reviewing the relief and restoration measures at a meeting of the crisis management committee here today Mr A.K. Goswami, Chief Secretary, said 91,000 empty cartons had already been sent by Agro Packaging India Ltd, to the lower belt of Kinnaur where picking of apple was likely to start. In addition, more boxes were being sent to the area to meet the requirements of the growers.

The Chief Secretary said over 3800 quintals of essential commodities had been airlifted by helicopters to Ropa, Peo, Rukling, Sangla and Pooh which would be further transported on mules and head load to the distribution points, stores and fair price shops. He said 18,290 litres of kerosene besides medicines, candles and matchboxes had also been airlifted to the affected areas of Kinnaur.

He said in addition to 1369 quintals of ration via Rampur to Bhabanagar and 376 quintals of ration via Kunzam to Yangthang had been sent by road to make adequate stock available at these places.

In all 1400 passengers were airlifted from different location in Kinnaur to Shimla and Rampur. Meanwhile, the Baba Balak Nath Trust, Deoth Sidh, had made a contribution of Rs 10 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.

The Radha Soami Satsang, Beas had also contributed Rs 10 lakh to the relief fund.

Shri Anandpur Trust, Guna, Madhya Pradesh had donated Rs 1 lakh and Jagdish Lal Sharma, Hamirpur Rs 5000.

Barot fire, 2 bank men held
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Aug 22 — With the unlocking of the fire-proof chest of the Gramin Bank last evening, the clue to the alleged possibility of setting afire the commercial complex at Barot, is claimed to have been found.

The shortage of cash in the chest to the tune of Rs 70,000 has led to the arrest of the acting manager of the bank Bachitar Singh (cashier) and a class III daily wage earner Som Nath.

Mr O.C. Thakur, SP, said here today that after preliminary questioning the accused were taken to Jogindernagar yesterday and would be presented before the Sub-Judge, Jogindernagar.

The manager, Dan Singh, had handed over the charge to the cashier. It is alleged that on Friday night when the fire broke out the acting manager and other staff members were not present.

Mr Thakur said Bachitar Singh maintained that he had kept the key of the bank in his house which too was destroyed in the fire.

The duplicate key was procured from the Tikkam branch of the bank and when the chest was opened in the presence of the SP, the SDM and other officials it was found that not only the cash was missing, but the balance cash book which is also kept under rules in the fire-proof chest, was also not there.

The police on the report of Tilak Sood, a stringer of a vernacular daily, registered an FIR suspecting some foul play.

The district administration summoned experts from Forensic Science Laboratory, Shimla. The experts have taken samples of the relevant material from the site of the fire.

The fire victim are demanding that services of some top experts should be obtained to interrogate the accused. They all also demanding that central help should be sought to rehabilitate the victims as the relief provided under the relief manual was nominal and would not mitigate their sufferings.

Punjab farmers grab Himachal land
From Our Correspondent

NALAGARH, Aug 22 — Influential persons from Punjab have reportedly encroached on some 400 acres of shamlat and forest land of Nalagarh subdivision of Himachal Pradesh. The encroached land has precious timber worth crores, of which a major portion may have already been cut and sold illegally.

According to information available, the persons involved in the land grab have removed the burjis (markers) erected along the boundary of H.P. and Punjab and constructed cement marker posts along a 3 km stretch inside Himachal territory.

Local residents have expressed concern at the forcible encroachment. When this reporter visited the area to ascertain the facts the villagers were reticent to speak as they feared being harassed by the encroachers who, they said, belonged to an influential group with links to senior officials and leaders in Chandigarh, Delhi and Shimla.

They claimed that the land grab was being done with the active connivance of some senior officials of the Revenue Department. They said an influential person who owned some three hundred acres of land in Bkarpur on the Punjab side of the border was behind the grab.

According to the residents during consolidation work back in 1981 it was found that the farmer had encroached upon Himachal land measuring 948 bighas, 18 biswas. Jagir Singh of Jhirran village, told this correspondent that he had gotten the boundary pickets repaired and a barbed wire fence erected along the boundary in 1986, for which the costs were borne by the Forest Department.

But two years ago the same group of people again began to dismantle the markers and encroach upon Himachal land. He had then lodged an FIR in Nalagarh police station against three persons of a certain business group. In retaliation the group lodged an FIR in sadar police station Ropar, against him and the Punjab police had even raided his village to abduct him but he escaped as he was absent at the time.

Jagir Singh, who is a member of the Block Development Committee, met the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nalagarh and informed him of the encroachment. After failing to get a response he wrote to the Deputy Commissioner, Solan also without success. At present an area of about 3 km in length and 100 metres in width has been encroached upon along the boundary of Lakhanpur and Jhirran villages of Himachal Pradesh across from Narangpur and Khol Bari areas of Punjab. The land is covered with khair, falahi, shall, simble, shisham maindar and keekar trees. Interestingly Manjhauli gram panchayat had passed a resolution against the encroachment, copies of which were sent to the state government and concerned departments.

According to the SDM, Nalagarh, Mr K.C. Chaman, officials of the Revenue and Forest Department have visited the area and pickets which were found missing were being replaced. He said a case had been registered against the encroachers in Nalagarh police station and further investigations were on.

Deceased’s kin writes to Governor
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, Aug 22 — In a significant move, family members of deceased Karam Singh, SE in the Irrigation and Public Health Department, who had committed suicide last year in June and had mentioned the name of a minister, in his suicide note, have written a letter to the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to accord sanction to prosecute the minister. It was further alleged in the letter that the police is not acting in impartial manner.

Last year on June 24, Mr Karam Singh had committed suicide by consuming poison. Later on the family members traced a suicide note from his residence at Shimla where he had committed suicide mentioning that the minister was responsible for all this.

According to family members the sanction of a petrol pump at Jarol (Sundernagar) in the favour of a son of the deceased was the main cause of the tussle between the deceased and the minister, regarding which litigation was going on in the court as the son of minister had challenged the sanctioned in the court.

Mr Hemender Pal son of deceased while addressing mediapersons yesterday said the police did not take any action in the matter. Later on the police recorded the statement of family members in December, 1999 on the intervention of the Human Rights Commission and took into its possession the suicide note, which as per the police was sent to a Calcutta Laboratory for the verification of signature. The writing on the note according to the police was of the deceased. Again the statements of family members were taken in May this year but now the police is not telling anything about the progress of case. Mr Hemender Pal said he and his family members had no faith in the police as the investigation was not being conducted in a fair manner.

So now they have written a letter to the Governor to grant permission to prosecute the minister as he was allegedly the cause behind the suicide of Karam Singh Verma.

Stray cattle rule Parwanoo roads
From Our Correspondent

PARWANOO, Aug 22 — With post-rain thick growth of vegetation, it’s time for stray cattle to be seen everywhere in this township. There can be seen squatting on the roads and the national highway. There is no way you can move these. The traffic is adversely affected everywhere, especially near the Circuit House and Shiwalic hotel on the national Highway.

Some of these strays are let loose by villagers to graze in the evening and are herded back in the early morning, but most of these are abandoned cattle.

During night, these cattle have a free run in the town, and spoil lawns, kitchen-gardens and flower beds in front of the houses. The shopkeepers, especially vegetable sellers also have a tough time when these cattle suddenly enter into their shops and eat away vegetables. The cow dung which keeps lying on the roads for days, also adds to the spread of skin diseases in the area. The problem is acute during the monsoon season when there is enough grass on the road side and in the parks.

These cattle sit on the National highway and cause hindrance for the traffic and some time it even leads to serious accidents involving loss of life. Some people get hurt when they drive right into these animals due to poor visibility in the murky season.

The Notified Area Committee, which has now taken the status of Nagar Parishad, came into existence in 1981 and initially, it erected a “Cattle Bund” area in Sector 1 and even fined the defaulters. Later, however, the committee demolished the cattle bund area for reasons best known to it. Since then stray-cattle menace has dogged the area.

Lawyers block traffic
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Aug 22 — Striking members of the local bar association today blocked traffic on Pathankot-Mandi national highway for over half an hour at Niazpur. They also burnt the effigies of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal and the Revenue Minister, Mr Rajan Sushant, in protest against the amended Sections 23A, 37 and 46 of the new Land Revenue Act which came into force on August 16.

The lawyers of the state are on strike since August 4 demanding the revocation of amended sections of the new Act. The agitating lawyers alleged that the amended sections of the Act would deprive the litigants of natural justice as the aggrieved litigants could not approach civil courts against the decisions or order of the revenue officials.

The lawyers also took out a procession. They also burnt the effigy of Mr Virbhadra Singh, the CLP leader and former Chief Minister for playing dormant role in this issue.

Mr P.C. Sharma and Mr P.C. Jaggi, the president and general secretary, respectively, of the bar association in a statement said the lawyers would continue their stir until the state government revoke amendments in Sections 23A, 37 and 47 of the Land Revenue Act.

Gambling on the rise in Nalagarh
From Our Correspondent

NALAGARH, Aug 22 — Gambling has increased in Nalagarh and Baddi-Barotiwala, with locals, especially rehri vendors, obsessed with the idea of becoming rich overnight.

Most satta operators (khaiwals) are allegedly hand in glove with the police and CID officials, a majority of whom are local residents. The officials allegedly get a fixed amount from the satta operators.

CID officials can be seen gossiping and taking tea with these shopkeepers-turned-satta operators near the local PWD Rest House and in the main market.

Other underground activities like illegal trade of country-made liquor, etc., are being carried out uninterrupted.

The gamblers are allegedly thriving in connivance with CID officials and police officials who are paid “hafta”.

Daily in the evening, satta slips are collected in the local bus stand area and later the results are announced.

A senior police official said the number of gambling cases were increasing in the region and had doubled this year.

He said the main cause of increase in gambling was the absence of strict punishment under the Gambling Act.

Interim bail for mill MD
From Our Legal Correspondent

SHIMLA, Aug 22 — A single Bench of the high court consisting of Mr Justice R.K. Khurana has granted interim bail to Mr Davinder Kumar Jain, Managing Director of M/s Sidhartha Super Spinning Mills Ltd., at Nalagarh. He has allegedly defaulted in not depositing the employer’s share in the provident fund of the employees.

Counsel for the accused contended that the petitioner being the Managing Director had nothing to do with respect to the deposits. Therefore he was innocent.

In another case, interim bail was given to S.P. Saklani, Managing Director of Himachal Gramin Sanchayika Ltd., a finance company. A case had been registered against him under Section 420 of the IPC.

Janamashtami to be celebrated today
From Our Correspondent

PARWANOO, Aug 22 — Staff of the Assistant Commissioner’s office and the Nagar Parishad have decided to celebrate the Janamashtami on August 23. The celebrations will start at 5.30 p.m. with kirtan and bhajans.

The Deputy Commissioner, Solan, and the SP, Solan, will be the chief guests. According to information, the Sarv Dharam Sabha, Sector 5, will also celebrate the Janamashtami at Shiv Shakti Sai Baba Mandir today.