H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Punjab to ‘share assets’ with HP
Dharamsala, May 29
The Punjab Minister for Higher Education, Mr Mohan Lal, today said Himachal Pradesh would soon gets its share from Punjab under the Reorganisation Act, 1966, as parleys were on between the Chief Ministers of the two states.

Demand to amend HP tenancy Act
Shimla, May 29
The Save Himachal Society has decided to launch a signature campaign to mount pressure on the government for amending Section 118 of the State Land Reform and Tenancy Act to end discrimination against bona fide non-agriculturist Himachalis who are debarred from purchasing land in the state.

Students gherao principal
Kasauli, May 29
Following the deteriorating condition of a Class IX student, Shobha Devi, of the local Government Senior Secondary School, from an alleged state of coma as stated by the police and fear of her death, a violent mob comprising students and local residents resorted to an agitation and also gheraoed the Principal as well as the woman PTI of the school.

Shimla Summer Festival begins on wet note
Shimla, May 29
The four-day Shimla Summer Festival began on a wet note with a heavy downpour cutting short the opening day’s programme featuring Punjabi folk singer Harbhajan Mann.

1 killed as truck falls into gorge
Nahan, May 29
One person died and three were injured when a truck (HR 37 5868) coming from Kolanwala Bhood village, about 17 km from here, rolled into a gorge near Dhangwala last evening.

Punjab to ‘share assets’ with HP

Dharamsala, May 29
The Punjab Minister for Higher Education, Mr Mohan Lal, today said Himachal Pradesh would soon gets its share from Punjab under the Reorganisation Act, 1966, as parleys were on between the Chief Ministers of the two states.

Mr Mohan Lal was here to inaugurate a four-day seminar on “Issues in Taxation and Accounting Standard for the Infrastructure Sector” organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The seminar aims at dealing with the core practical issues in the application o US GAAPS, international accounting standard and Indian pronouncements with regard to the infrastructure sector.

The minister said there was no dispute between Punjab and Himachal over sharing the combined assets before reorganisation in 1966. “We are confident that all these issues will be settled amicably as even today there is a strong bonding between the people of the two neighbouring states,” he observed.

Stating that Punjab had been generous in giving Himachal its due, he added that as compared to the Punjabis who had been displaced due to the setting up of the Thein dam, the Himachalis had been given far better compensation, “Whereas we have merely given a compensation of Rs 80,000 pre acre to our own people, the oustees from Himachal have received Rs 1.80 lakh per acre,” he said.

He said while all displaced families from Himachal had been given jobs, about 600 families from Punjab, were yet to be given employment. He added that the sharing of the waters from the Thein dam and other issues relating to the BBMB would soon be settled. Commenting on the prospects of the Akali-BJP alliance in the coming Assembly elections in January, he said they would once again return to power. “No doubt our performance in the Parliament elections has not been good, but we must not forget that the issues in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections are totally different,” he observed. He said this time the Akalis had dispelled the general notion that they could not last the entire five-year term.

Speaking on the occasion, the course director and coordinator, Mr Raj Kumar Adukia, said the chartered accountants’ fraternity had come forward to assist the government in realising many of its objectives like financial discipline, smooth fiscal administration and ensuring transparency. They were also helping with their expertise in ensuring proper accounting and the end use of these funds.

Ms Bhavna D. Joshi, Chairperson, Accounting Standard Board, said to check inflation in huge capital projects, there should be single window clearance so that all formalities were completed before work on the project was started. She added there should be a separate division which coordinated with all departments concerned and did planning in advance to check unnecessary delays.

Demand to amend HP tenancy Act
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 29
The Save Himachal Society has decided to launch a signature campaign to mount pressure on the government for amending Section 118 of the State Land Reform and Tenancy Act to end discrimination against bona fide non-agriculturist Himachalis who are debarred from purchasing land in the state.

The citizen’s action group formed by the society for the purpose will start the signature campaign from June 1 which will continue for three months. The signatures will be presented to Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, along with a memorandum. If need be the group will seek the intervention of the President of India.

Mr Ramesh Chaujjar and Mr R.L. Jain, president and general secretary of the group, respectively, said the society was not in favour of scrapping the law altogether but it wanted the rights of non-agriculturist Himachalis to be protected. The draconian law was more harsher than even Article 370 as the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir were free to purchase land in their state. However, in Himachal even bona fide residents who had been living in the state since generations could not acquire land in the state.

The injustice being perpetrated on the non-agriculturist Himachalis could be undone if the bona fide residents living in the state since 1972, when the highly discriminatory law was enacted, were granted the status of agriculturists. This could be achieved by a simple amendment to the Act, they explained.

The society had been disillusioned with the indifferent attitude of the BJP government on the issue. The BJP while in opposition had been supporting the demand. In fact, its prominent leaders, some of whom were now ministers, spearheaded the campaign and when the Shanta Kumar government assumed office it sought the mandatory approval of the Centre for amending the Act. However, the proposal was turned down by the then Congress government at the Centre.

The BJP had made scrapping of Section 118 a major issue during the last Shimla Municipal Corporation poll but it did nothing to fulfil its promise after coming to power. The society, they said, was not a political body but its campaign would certainly make Section 118 a big issue in the corporation poll to be held early next year.

Students gherao principal
Ambika Sharma
Our Correspondent

Kasauli, May 29
Following the deteriorating condition of a Class IX student, Shobha Devi, of the local Government Senior Secondary School, from an alleged state of coma as stated by the police and fear of her death, a violent mob comprising students and local residents resorted to an agitation and also gheraoed the Principal as well as the woman PTI of the school.

On May 1, Shobha Devi was allegedly beaten up by the PTI, Ms Shushila, so badly that she became unconscious and was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Besides lodging a complaint with the police, her parents and the Parents Teacher Association demanded action against the erring teacher. It is learnt that the girl was recovering from jaundice due to which she became unconscious as she was unable to bear the beating.

Today morning, after the morning assembly, word went round in the school that Shobha had succumbed to her condition at the PGI. This led students of the school, the locals and the relatives of the girl to resort to violence to express their anger. They started manhandling the Principal of the school, Ms Kamlesh Sood and the PTI.

On hearing about the incident the Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar and the SHO rushed to the spot with the police force. To control the situation, the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Laxmipati, along with the SHO, Dharampur, and a large number of constables also rushed to the spot. The police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to disperse the mob. Some of the agitators, including school children, and policemen suffered injuries in the melee. The local market was shut down as a protest and teaching in the school remained suspended throughout the day even as the police, led by the ASP, tried to pacify the two groups.

The SDM, Solan, Mr Jhampta, along with the District Education Officer, Mrs Kaura Devi, reached the spot in the late afternoon. The DEO expressed ignorance about the day’s incident. She said she had fixed June 2 for conducting an inquiry into the incident. Attempts were being made to fix responsibility for the incident at the time of filing this report. The angry mob was demanding action against the police for the lathi charge and suspension of the teachers. People were also seen raising slogans outside the local police station. Considerable damage was done to school property by the angry demonstrators.

Shimla Summer Festival begins on wet note
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 29
The four-day Shimla Summer Festival began on a wet note with a heavy downpour cutting short the opening day’s programme featuring Punjabi folk singer Harbhajan Mann.

The weather god interrupted the show even before Harbhajan could take the stage. However, the exuberant singer enthralled young enthusiasts who braved the stormy weather for about 45 minutes during which he sang his heart out.

His famous numbers “Much gayi duhai hogi tarara...” and “Gallan goriyan wich toye...” won maximum acclaim and he obliged the audience by repeating the two numbers. The other hit numbers included “Husn jawani mala mal...” and “Teri nachdi bal kuri...”.

1 killed as truck falls into gorge
Our Correspondent

Nahan, May 29
One person died and three were injured when a truck (HR 37 5868) coming from Kolanwala Bhood village, about 17 km from here, rolled into a gorge near Dhangwala last evening.

Local residents immediately rushed to the spot and started rescue operations. Police and local residents shifted the injured persons to the Nahan district hospital where one of them, Sohan Singh, resident of Kandtawala village in Nahan tehsil, succumbed to his injuries. Three persons, including the driver and conductor of the truck, are under treatment in the district hospital. The police has registered a case in this regard.