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| Thursday, October 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Centre to fill HC judges’ vacancies Karmapa not to be moved to Sherabling
Virbhadra leaves for Delhi to meet Vora Need for metalled road to Prashar Lake 16 girls in fray for Shimla Queen contest |
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 Participants in the Shimla Queen Contest 2000 offer tributes to Mahalaxmi with “diyas” during their sojourn in Chandigarh on Wednesday. —Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan Community policing for 22 areas
Income Tax offices in HP to be computerised ED men record statements Govt takeover of college
demanded
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Centre to fill HC judges’ vacancies SHIMLA, Oct 18 — The Centre has decided to fill the vacancies of judges in various high courts on a priority to bring down the ever-increasing number of pending cases. Stating this during an informal chat with newspersons here today, Mr Arun Jaitley, Union Law Minister, said cases had been piling up in courts across the country except the apex court where there had been a marked decline in pendency. The situation was worse in lower courts with as many as 2.01 crore cases pending at various levels. The situation was no better in the high courts with the number of pending cases crossing the 34 lakh mark. The big states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the main culprits. Things have been, however, looking up in the Supreme Court with the number of pending cases declining sharply from 1.10 lakh in 1990 to about 20,000. Tedious and time-consuming judicial procedure and large number of vacancies of judges in high courts were mainly responsible for the pendency. The government was alive to the problem and it had initiated the process for filling 199 vacancies of judges in high courts, including 32 newly created ones, on priority. Already 40 appointments had been cleared and he hoped to bring down the number of vacancies to less than 100 by March next year. Simultaneously, efforts were on to amend the CrPC to ensure expeditious disposal of cases. He said he had already held a few rounds of talks with the advocates who were opposed to some of the proposed amendments. The issue was likelyto be resolved amicably. Referring to the reforms, Mr Jaitley said the BJP-led government had over the past two-and-a-half years unshackled the economy by lifting controls and restrictions to pave the way for free enterprise. But at the same time it was also concerned about the interests of consumers and had decided to enact some new laws for the purpose. He said in a liberalised trade regime strategic mergers of companies to monopolise the market, price manipulation and other ploys which hurt the interests of the consumer were commonly used. To check such manipulations the governments had decided to enact the competition law. It would provide all safeguards to prevent companies from indulging in such tactics. Besides, a comprehensive Corporate Insolvency Act was also being framed as part of legal reform. At present, there were three different Acts which dealt with issues pertaining to corporate insolvency. The obsolete Companies Act was also being amended to make it an effective tool for regulating the functioning of companies in the liberalised economic environment. The amended Act is already with Parliament. |
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Karmapa not to be moved to Sherabling DHARAMSALA, Oct 18 — The possibility of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Doojee, being shifted to the Sherabling Monastery near Baijnath or any other place, has been ruled out by the Centre, till a final decision is taken on his status. According to reliable sources, the Ministries of External Affairs and Home, have made it clear to the Tibetan Government-in-exile, that any permission to move the Karmapa, outside Dharmsala, will be granted only after a final decision is taken on granting him political asylum or refugee status. Rather than taking up the related issues with the 15-year-old religious head of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhists, the Indian authorities are keen to settle the issue of his status in India, first. According to sources the ministers and top officials of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, have discussed all possible options with the Indian authorities, who want to deal with the crucial issue in totality rather than adopting a piecemeal approach. The Karmapa, had been keen to move to the Sherabling Monastery at Bhattu, near Baijnath, till he was granted permission to take the seat at the RumTek Monastery in Sikkim. The Minister for Religion and Culture in the exiled Tibetan Government, Mr Tashi Wangdi, said all options had been discussed at length with the MEA and Home Ministry, who wanted to first settle the main issue. He admitted that the Karmapa, had been keen to visit different monasteries in India. The Karmapa, who made a sudden appearance in Mcleodganj, on January, 5, this year, after fleeing from Tibet, has been housed at the Gyuto Tantrik Monastery, on the outskirts of the town. He has not been granted permission by the authorities to even visit the Sherabling Monastery at Bhattu, about 70 km from here, or Rewalsar in Mandi district. Though, the Karmapa is undergoing his studies at the Gyuto Monastery, but being confined to one place has allegedly caused immense frustration and tension to the religious head. He ventures out of Gyuto only when he visits Mcleodganj, to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Commenting on the delay in a decision on the status of the Karmapa, Kalon Tashi Wangdi, said he did not see any problem in the Karmapa, being allowed to stay in India. “Since it is a major decision and a number of ministries and officials are involved, it is bound to take time, and moreover, the Karmapa is continuing his religious studies, which was the main motive of his escape from Tibet,” Mr Wangdi said. Mr Wangdi, however, admitted that they would definitely prefer if the matter was settled at the earliest and added Delhi views it differently and does not feel that there is any urgency. We do understand that crucial issues like travel arrangements and security of the Karmapa, will have to be ensured, before he is allowed to move around. Moreover, he has still not been exposed to the media”, he added. He clarified that the Tibetan Government had no intention to use the presence of the Karmapa in India for political gains. We do not wish to use the Karmapa card as it would create misunderstanding between India and China. Others in the Tibetan circle feel that India’s wait and watch policy was over cautious. |
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Virbhadra leaves for Delhi to meet Vora SHIMLA, Oct 18 — The Himachal Congress Legislature Party, Chief Mr Virbhadra Singh, today left for Delhi following summons from the AICC General Secretary, Mr Moti Lal Vora, to discuss the complaints of regging of the organisational elections in Himachal Pradesh by the other faction. All three members of the Pradesh Election Authority (PEA) headed by Mr V. Hanuman the Rao, have also been summoned for a face to face meeting to discuss the complaints. The other members, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, and Mr K.D. Sultanpuri, will also participate in the meeting which will be held in the AICC headquarters this evening. Mr Virbhadra Singh had made allegations of rigging of the elections by his rival group with connivance of the two PEA members, Mr Rao and Mr Sultanpuri, he had complained to the AICC that without settling over 24 petition regarding irregularities in these elections, the PEA went ahead with conducting the elections for the District Congress Committees. It is learnt that Mr Vora has also summoned the PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan and leaders of the other faction for talks. However, they were expected to reach Delhi tomorrow or day after. Mr Yogendra Chandra, a sitting MLA, who was elected president of the Shimla (rural) DCC, accompanied Mr Virbhadra Singh. Some other legislators including Mr Kaul Singh, and Mrs Asha Kumari, who are supporting Mr Virbhadra Singh, will reach Delhi tomorrow. Sources said that Mr Vora has intervened in the eposode after the complaints were received by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Vora looks after the party affairs in, Himachal Pradesh. To prevent further divide in the party, leaders of various factions have now suggested that Mrs Sonia Gandhi should nominate the new PCC chief instead of holding elections which could generate more bad blood. Mr Virbhadra Singh and other leaders are likely to meet Mrs Sonia Gandhi and leave the choice of the PCC chief to her. |
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District Diary MANDI: Despite the vast potential for the promotion of tourism in this
district, the state government has not been able to provide the basic infrastructure for this purpose. Located at a height of 9,000 ft ,the historic Prashar Lake,48 km from Mandi
town, is not only a destination for pilgrims but also a tourist attraction. It
is an ideal area for those who love trekking and hiking. Unfortunately, the
place has not yet been connected by a metalled road. Two rest houses were built there some time ago and some beautification work is in
progress. Mr Maheshwar Singh, MP, is making efforts to develop the Prashar
area. He says funds have been arranged through NABARD for linking the area by a metalled road. Barot is another tourist resort in the district which has not been connected by a metalled road over the past 50 years .It is located on the banks of the
Uhl, which abounds in trout. The resort is about two hours' drive from Mandi and
Jogindernagar. The commercial complex of Barot was reduced to ashes in a recent
fire. Mr Maheshwar Singh says the government should ensure the new complex is built in a planned manner keeping in view the tourism aspect. It is alleged that the government is not serious about harnessing the state's tourism
potential. The budget for tourism promotion in 1988-89 was Rs 11.96 crore. It
was slashed to Rs 9.04 crore in 1999-2000 while in the current year it is only Rs 3.12 crore. *
* * Sapling plantation in this district received a setback with the unprecedented cut in the budget
allocation. The plantation budget, which was Rs 26 crore last year for the
state, has been cut to Rs 13 crore this year, adversely affecting the plans drawn up by forest officials and rendering saplings in nurseries worth crores of rupees
useless. The targeted area for plantation has been reduced from 31,000 hectares to 15,000 hectares. Eyebrows have been raised over the policy .Green valleys not only attract tourists but also ensure the regular flow of water in rivers. The
British, who set up the Shanan power house at Jogindernagar in 1932, had been paying huge compensation to tribesmen of Chhota and Bara Bhangal farmers for ensuring a complete ban on
grazing. Even the Punjab Government continued paying compensation until 1973 when it said that half the amount should be paid by Himachal Pradesh as its Bassi power house was also fed by the tailend water of the
Shanan. Since then the compensation has stopped and large-scale grazing is devastating forests in the catchment area of the
Uhl, affecting the water discharge. * * * Nestling between the ranges of Janetri and Sar
Dhars, the sprawling Sarkaghat, which was once a land of lakes, is at present the most arid subdivision of the
district. Not many people will believe that rain water is stored in this area in special tanks made in hard rocks and kept under lock and
key. The water from these tanks (locally called khatis) is used round the
year. Another interesting feature of this subdivision is that almost every household there has at least one person in the armed forces. |
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16 girls in fray for Shimla Queen contest CHANDIGARH, Oct 18 — This comes as the second consecutive year marking the revival of a long-lost tradition. And obviously hence, the spirit of celebration was evident today, not just because the Shimla Queen contest is entering the second successful year of restoration at the hands of Shilon Resorts people, but also because the contest, this year, falls very close to
Divali. Festivity filled the ambience at a local hotel here today which was the venue for halt of the 16 contestants from across the country. The girls, out of whom nine belong to Delhi alone, will vie for the prestigious title in the grand finale to be held at Shilon Resorts beyond Shimla on Friday. They all looked fresh today even after a difficult grooming session in Delhi which tested the girls for their wit and knowledge, for those are the two attributes the organisers are hunting for. The contest has been designed to judge the participants on two accounts — one where they will be examined with respect to their attitude (empathy, apathy, sympathy and antipathy) and another where they will be adjudged for their vital statistics. The basis of selection of the 16 finalists has been their ability to exhibit Solah kala and solah shingaar. So this one sure is s test of beauty and brains together. To make sure that those selected are the best, sub-contests will be held at Shimla, beginning tomorrow. Some of the sections in this category include Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Attitude and Miss Congeniality. On the 16- member jury will be great professionals like Aditya Panscholi, Jatin Das, kathak exponent Uma Sharma, Penaz Masani, Ravindra Gupta, to mention a few. “The idea is to send out clear signals that we are here to project the best. The title has been earlier sported by glamorous women like Kalpana Kartik, Simi Garewal, Priya Rajvansh and Sonu Walia. So now whosoever we choose as the best must reflect the attributes earlier reflected by these women. Form and substance has to be there,” said Mr Ghai. Interesting to mention here is that the contest was revived last year after the one held in 1986-87 when Preety Zinta was chosen the Shimla Queen. An interface with most contestants today revealed that they are here to make a name for themselves on the lines of the earlier winners. Said Shifali Dang, a doctor by profession, who is contesting, “There has to be more to life than a mechanical touch. I am here to know myself better.” On October 16, the contestants visited a blind school at Delhi where they were blind-folded and were made to empathise with the blind. Said Pratibha, another contestant, also from Delhi, “Here we are learning to feel for the less fortunates. It is a perfect place to be for it helps you know the hidden aspects of your own character.” The final show on Friday also has other attractions, including performances by The Aryans and Shibani Kashyap. The famous dance troupe from Delhi, Zenith, will also bridge the gaps on the D-Day. The choreography comes from the Delhi-based Shyamli Kalra who will manage the right music and steps to match the five round which will mark the finals. The rounds will feature bridal wear, corporate wear, evening wear. formal western, denim and crystal wear. |
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Community policing for 22 areas SHIMLA, Oct 18 — Appreciating the participatory role of the people in crime control and law and order management, the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to introduce the community policing scheme in 22 selected urban police stations of the state from next month. The scheme, which will supplement the traditional mode of policing, aims at providing more effective police services to the society and improving security environment by active reliance on those resources of the community which can deal with crime-causing conditions. It is also a step towards decentralisation of the police bureaucracy and ensuring of greater interaction between the police and public by activating the constabulary at the grassroots. Under the scheme, the towns will be divided into small sectors, each of which will have a people’s policing committee. All members of households in a particular sector will comprise the committee which will collect information about boot-legging, illicit distillation, drug trafficking, criminal elements and assist the police in organising patrolling, identification of accident-prone spots, verification of antecedents of people, arranging a watch over the residents who are away from home and keeping an eye on suspicious persons visiting the locality. It will also create awareness about security requirements and safety measures like installation of proper locking system, grills, doors and windows and methods of keeping properties safe and secure. An active group comprising six respectable non-political residents, a home guard jawan, a chowkidar and a constable or head constable as secretary will be constituted in each sector to keep a watch on day-to-day happenings. A private member of the active group will be selected as convener for one year through consensus. He will be responsible for conducting monthly meetings of the people’s committee. The policeman deputed to function as the secretary of the active group will be required to move in the sector concerned at least once in three days, accompanied by the other members of the group, and be on night patrol at least three times a week. He will maintain a register of all households and members of his sector and receive all complaints made to him in writing. He will also maintain a beat book for recording useful information about his sector and also monitor the action being taken on complaints. Community policing is the frontrunner in the new concepts thrown up by the changing pattern of crime and security environment which has led to the near collapse of the old mode of policing, says Mr A.K. Puri, the Director-General of Police. While the traditional policing is reactive, the community policing is proactive and calls for greater accountability and responsiveness on the part of the police, he explains. The scheme will be introduced in all sadar police stations of main towns. Besides the 12 district headquarters, police stations of Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Kangra, Palampur, Nurpur, Sundernagar and Manali, will be covered in the first phase. |
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Income Tax offices in HP to be computerised HAMIRPUR, Oct 18 — All income tax offices in Himachal Pradesh would be fully computerised and linked with Shimla and New Delhi through the local area network (LAN). Mr Buta Singh, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Himachal Pradesh stated this here last night. Talking with mediapersons, he said the Department of Income Tax has started a scheme in which top three honest tax payers in each income tax office area of the state would be honoured. He informed at a function to honour the taxpayers would be held at Hamirpur next month. Similar functions would also be held all over the state. The first function of this type was held recently at Shimla, he added. Mr R.C. Begta, Income Tax Officer, Hamirpur, was also present. Mr Buta Singh was satisfied with the pace of tax collections in Himachal Pradesh as well as Hamirpur district. He said the tax collections in the state had gone up from Rs 18 crore in 1992-93 to Rs 139 crore in 1999-2000. He said in Hamirpur district the income tax collection risen from Rs 73 lakh in 1995-96 to Rs 142 lakh in 1999-2000. This, he said, showed that people of the Hamirpur and Department of Income Tax were both working in unison. Mr Buta Singh, however, stressed the need for bringing more people under the preview of income tax. He said paying tax was a national need and the necessity of the hour was to involve oneself in the work of national reconstruction. He said with the computerisation of all departments and by linking them through LAN, nobody would be able to escape the network of the government. Mr Buta Singh asked the taxpayers to meet the department officers regarding their problems. He said the department would also organise camps for collecting the tax returns. The process of filing tax returns had been simplified, he added. |
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ED men record statements DHARAMSALA, Oct 18 — Senior officials of the Enforcement Directorate from Jalandhar today recorded the statement of those involved in the foreign exchange trade and took into possession foreign currency worth Rs 8 lakh recovered by the police from a travel agent of McLeodganj earlier this week. According to the SSP, Mr Prithvi Raj, the accused, Mahender Singh, had been running the foreign exchange business in the name of his wife Pritam Kaur and daughter Ramanpreet Kaur. During their statement made before the Enforcement Directorate team, they said they had given the power of attorney to Mahender Singh who was running the business. The Enforcement Directorate officials who came here for making further investigations, included Mr A.K. Mitra, Deputy Director, and the Assistant Director Mr Subramaniam. During the investigations the team detected a number of discrepancies in the unaccounted and fake currency and the documents. The team is likely to make further investigation before the case is taken to court. The statement of the main accused, Mahender Singh, could not be recorded by the Enforcement Directorate officials as he was away to Amritsar for a medical check-up. However, summons have been served on him to appear before the officials at Jalandhar.
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Govt takeover of college
demanded NURPUR, Oct 18 — The issue of takeover of the local Arya Girls College by the government was again raised yesterday when the students of the college joined the demonstration of the Congress activists of the Nurpur Block unit who were protesting against the recent hike in price of petroleum products. The agitating students submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the SDM demanding take-over of the college or till the take-over, the institution be brought under 95 per cent grant-in-aid. The students lamented the revocation of ad hoc grant-in-aid to the college by the state government for the past two years which had resulted in a steep hike in college fees. |
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