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Wednesday,
October 9, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Suspension of flights hits tourist traffic Advani to open private sector IT varsity
today Justice sought for Punjabi students CBI probe sought into bank
recruitments 50 injured in cylinder blasts |
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Ghagas bridge develops
cracks Freezing of DA
condemned Discrimination charges
baseless: minister Security beefed up in temples DISTRICT DIARY Panel flays VC over extension
services Probe sought into bank recruitments Protest against delimitation
move Sonia to address rally at Mandi Premature retirement for IAS officer
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Suspension of flights hits tourist traffic Kangra, October 8 According to the Kangra airport sources, no regular flights of Indian Airlines are operating here since September 20. The Airlines authorities had been operating regular flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is learnt that flights have been suspended for want of aircraft. Participants of the five-day programme organised by the Tibetan spiritual leader and Temporal head, the Dalai Lama, at McLeodganj, which concluded on Friday was attended by 10 senior religious Tibetan leaders besides many renowned scientists such as the Physics Nobel Prize winner, Dr Steven Chu, Genome scientists from MIT, besides Hollywood actors. They were the worst hit because of the Indian Airlines flight suspension. The Kangra airport is suitable to cater for one Donier (D-228) class aircraft under fair weather conditions. It has a 3,900-ft-long runway and Apron of 150 ft x 100 ft. The runway has been now extended by 600 ft, thus becoming 4,500 ft long, with shoulders of 25 ft width on either side of the existing runway. The grading of the runway with proper slope has also been taken up. A new terminal building has been constructed at the airport at a cost of Rs 2.70 crore with a peak hour capacity of 100 passengers, with air-conditioning facility in the check-in area, security hold area, a restaurant and VIP lounge. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the airport CISF personnel will be deployed on this airport from December 1. |
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Advani to open private sector IT varsity
today Shimla, October 8 Being set up by Jai Prakash Sansthan at a cost of Rs 100-crore and named as Jaypee University of Information Technology, the university is spread over 25 acres. The land was given to the university by the government at market price on 99 years lease. The university would have built-up area of 4 lakh square feet and the first-phase comprising academic block, students hostel and office and covering an area of 1-lakh square feet had already been completed. The architectural designs of the campus were being done by Ascop Associates Private Limited, an organisation of Canada. Undergraduate programmes in information technology, electronics, communication engineering, computer science and engineering bi-informatics had already commenced and 157 students, including 82 boys and 25 girls, had been admitted to these, 168 students had been provided hostel accommodation and 12 faculties had become functional. Laboratories had also been set up in electronics, physics and computers. The university would offer post-graduate courses from 2005-06. The main objective of the university was “excellence” and high degree of professionalism and it had sought the services of the core faculty. These faculties with rich academic and research credentials had been invited to build a world class intellectual community of distinguished professionals, a spokesman of the university said. DHARAMSALA: Congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan, G.S. Bali has criticised the Dhumal government for granting university status to J.P. Institute to be inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani. Talking to mediapersons here Tuesday, he said that perhaps for the first time in the country, a university had been set up which is named after an industrialist. He said this new tradition started by the Dhumal government was regrettable. He said the Congress would review this decision on being voted to power. The Congress leader termed this as sell-out of the interests of Himachal and alleged that J.P. Industries had been awarded works in excess of Rs 10,000 crore while the organisation had only a handful of Himachalis working in it. He said recent news on the retrenchment of 4,000 workers from the Chamera project by the group showed that poor Himachalis would be thrown out. Mr Bali said that another IT Institute in state should have been granted the status of university instead of to one from outside the state. He alleged that the institute was providing only 5 per cent seats for Himachalis and demanded that these be increased to 50 per cent. On Dr R.P.G. Medical College Tanda, Mr Bali said that despite assurances, the government had failed to start work on the hospital. He said future of students was at stake if the MCI withdrew recognition. It appeared that the government was indifferent to the problem of students which forced them to go on strike. Mr Bali blamed BJP leaders for misleading the poor people. He said it was announced recently by Union Minister for Rural Development Shanta Kumar that Gaddis and Gujjars had been granted SC/ST status but till date no person had been issued such certificate by the district administration. |
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Justice sought for Punjabi students Paonta Sahib, October 8 “There are hundreds of students in 11 government schools of Sirmaur district, who, after opting for Punjabi as the second language in Class IX, were forced to take some other optional subject in Class X after teaching of Punjabi was withdrawn from the beginning of the current academic session. “Justice must be done to all these students,” demands the state unit of SAD. Talking to The Tribune Mr Harbhajan Singh and Mr Paramjit Singh
Chanana, president and general secretary of SAD, respectively, said, “Though the government has been promising from time to time to introduce Punjabi in all schools in general and in the districts bordering Punjab, in particular, yet both students and volunteer teachers have been made to suffer for no fault of theirs. This time we hope that the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, would honour the commitment he has made to the National Commission for Minorities.” They have also demanded that the state government must announce its policy for the recruitment of Punjabi teachers. “There is no dearth of Punjabi teachers in the state. The state government could appoint Punjabi teachers under its Vidya Upasak Scheme. To start with the government could regularise all those volunteer teachers who have been conducting Punjabi classes free of charge for the past three years,” they demanded. Both the leaders said Punjabi-speaking people were one of the important minorities of the state who had been till recently denied their right to learn their mother tongue. Before the October 4 meeting decision was made public, certain organisations were considering moving the Shimla High Court for directions to the state government to implement the Cabinet decision taken nearly three years ago. “We were planning to file the case early next week. The papers were ready. It is good that the announcement, which was long over due, came in time,” said a source on the condition of anonymity. |
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CBI probe sought into bank
recruitments Nurpur, October 8 Mr Ramel Badiyal, president of the state unit of the LJP, while addressing mediapersons here yesterday alleged that only 70 posts in the cooperative bank had been advertised but the management filled 200 posts, allegedly through unfair means. He further said the candidates were given jobs on the recommendation of BJP leaders and bank management. “The Himachal Pradesh SSSB has become a den of corruption as lakhs of rupees are being charged for the selection of candidates in government job”, he alleged. He said only a CBI enquiry would vindicate his charges of nepotism and corruption in the board. Mr Badiyal said although the state government had declared the state draught-hit, the farmers in the state were yet to receive relief from the government. “The farmers who had insured their kharif crops under the Crop Insurance Scheme and paid the premium were unsure about the fate of their crop insurance. They were not given any receipt either from any government agency or insurance company”, he said. The LJP president termed the government’s encroachment regularisation policy a farce. He said the Revenue Department had sold encroachment regularisation forms and collected Rs 15 crore from the encroachers, who were now feeling cheated. |
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50 injured in cylinder blasts Dharamsala, October 8 According to reports, the accident occurred during a marriage ceremony at the house of Mr Purushotam Lal. One of the LPG cylinders being used for cooking burst into flames and caused a blast. Two other gas cylinders kept in the vicinity also caught fire, resulting in another blast. The injured included 12 children and 17 women. The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Palampur. The condition of 12 injured is stated to be serious. The fire brigade from Palampur rushed to the spot and helped in the rescue operations. Police officials and the SDM, Palampur, Mr K. C. Chaman, also reached the spot and supervised the rescue operations. A case has been registered. |
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Ghagas bridge develops
cracks Bilaspur, October 8 On March 15, 1999, an old bridge on NH-21 at Gambhrola, near here, had collapsed though it was considered “unsafe” for traffic for years. The authorities woke up only after the damage had been caused due to a serious lapse on the part of the PWD Department or the Central Ministry concerned. Some officers were suspended immediately. After an enquiry was conducted and the officers escaped scotfree. In a similar case the Sataun bridge in Sirmaur district, collapsed during construction on July 16, 2000, making the state lose Rs 1.25 crore and a further loss of Rs 3 crore, which is said to be the cost of the new bridge to be constructed at the site. The attitude of the state government has baffled the people here who consider the attitude as “encouragement” for erring officers of the PWD. They insist that the government should inculcate the spirit of accountability and responsibility in officers in such matters in all department and make them pay for such serious lapses. |
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Freezing of DA
condemned Shimla, October 8 Mr K. L. Gautam, general secretary of the committee, said the DA was not charity but a compensation for price rise which could not be denied. He also criticised the decision to shift the Central Research Institute from Kasauli and expressed apprehension that the institute might be closed down. He urged the centre to review the decision to shift the institute. |
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Discrimination charges
baseless: minister Mandi, October 8 Addressing a news conference, he said the work would be completed in five years. He said he would contest the next general election on BJP ticket. He parried questions regarding his rejoining the HVC. He dismissed baseless the charge of discrimination in development in the 18 panchayats of the upper valley of his constituency. He claimed that many development works hanging fire over the past 12 years had been completed during the past four years in the Balh constituency. He said 80 rooms had been constructed in primary schools under the newly launched Saraswati Bal Vidya Sankalp Yojna. He said the panchayats were being given more powers and were actively involved in development works. He admitted that serious cases of corruption against panchayat representatives had been detected. He said it was shameful that 8,016 toilets in rural areas had been shown as complete on papers but these did not exist. Of the 412 cases of corruption, action had been initiated in 202 cases, he added. |
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Security beefed up in temples Kangra, October 8 The district police chief, Mr Sanjay Kundu, said yesterday that a DSP had been assigned the job of security of these temples. Home Guards, too, had been deployed in the temple town. Meanwhile, pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana started thronging this temple town since morning, singing bhajan and reciting Vedic hymes. Thousands of pilgrims visited the Brajeshwari temple on the first day of the navratras today, temple management sources said. Dr
N.K. Laath, SDM, Kangra, said all arrangements were in place for the pilgrims. He said 40 sweepers had been brought here temporarily from Punjab. |
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DISTRICT DIARY Chamba It may be mentioned that this highway is the only lifeline to the entire district of Chamba.It also withstands the heavy rush of vehicles belonging to the Army and various hydroelectric NHPC projects operating in the Chamba region of Himachal. It is learnt that the Border Roads Organisation (BRD) is responsible for maintaining this portion of the highway. *** ‘Chowgan’ No 3 surrounded by a wooden market complex is gradually being converted into “a goods storage yard” by some people. The entry to this chowgan is not permissible for any type of vehicle. The state government should direct the authorities concerned to withhold this unpleasant trend. Chamba town is one of the most beautiful towns of Himachal. Its location, design, land use pattern, architectural style and the open space ratio had been scrupulously maintained during the British regime. But now people raise structures wherever they find space in a haphazard manner without any consideration for aesthetics and the architectural design and style. The law-abiding citizens of the town have demanded the restoration of the glory of the chowgan. *** Several months have elapsed and it appears that the local Municipal Council has done nothing to construct a parking-cum-shopping complex at the burnt old Police Lines and a parking lot near Gandhi Gate in Chamba town. Mr D.N. Pardesi, president of the Chamba Citizens Progressive Council, said it had been decided to construct a parking-cum-shopping complex at the old Police Lines in ‘chowgan’ No 3, which was burnt down a few years ago. This complex envisaged the construction of about 80 shops for which the site plan and other revenue papers were subsequently completed and the case was submitted to the revenue authorities for approval to the transfer of the proposed site to the Municipal Council. It was also decided that another parking lot be provided near Gandhi Gate for at least 100 vehicles for which funds were available with the Municipal Council. Mr Pardesi urged the authorities concerned to implement these proposals at the earliest. |
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Panel flays VC over extension
services Dharamsala, October 8 In a joint statement presidents of the HP Agriculture Teachers Association and Non-Teaching Employees Association said the Chief Minister also assured the deputation that the reasons for the delay in the release of funds on October 1 would be probed. The committee also criticised the Vice-Chancellor’s move to restructure the extension services and limiting its activities to five centres. It said this would harm the interests of the farming community. |
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Probe sought into bank recruitments Nurpur, October 8 Mr Ramel Badiyal, president of the state unit of the LJP, while addressing mediapersons here yesterday alleged that only 70 posts in the cooperative bank had been advertised but the management filled 200 posts. |
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Protest against delimitation
move Nurpur, October 8 The protesters sat on dharna outside the MLA’s residence till late last night. The villagers demanded that the panchayat should not be separated from the Nurpur Assembly segment as it would affect the pace development in the area. Mr Rakesh Pathania when contacted clarified that he had no role to influence the delimitation process as it was being done by the Election Commission. The villagers also passed a resolution, copy of which was submitted to the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. |
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Sonia to address rally at Mandi Dharamsala, October 8 Addressing mediapersons here, the president of the DCC, Kangra, Dr M.R. Goma, alleged that the BJP government in state was exerting pressure on the Delimitation Commission to carve out Vidhan Sabha seats in a way which benefited it. |
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Premature retirement for IAS officer Shimla, October 8 |
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House gutted, one killed Shimla, October 8 |
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