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Friday,
March 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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HPSSSB Chairman’s house searched Greylag goose sighted
at Pong reservoir ‘Make food-for-work scheme viable’ Main parties put up nominees in tribal seats Cong fails to hold back DGP (Vigilance) Speaker calls on Suraj Bhan |
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Volunteers get rid of banners Rs 6.53 crore for Buddhist centres
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HPSSSB Chairman’s house searched Una, March 13 Meanwhile, Mr Katwal, talking to mediapersons outside his Adarsh Nagar House, said that unnecessary hue and cry was being raised regarding the destroying of records after every three months by the board and that the issue was being projected as an act of gross illegality. He said he had committed no wrong and everything had been done as per rules. While the enforcement officials were conducting a search operation inside the house, he said the decision to destroy the records was not unilateral. In fact, he said such decisions were taken by all members of the board and that the matter had figured even in the High Court and the Vidhan Sabha in the past. “None of these statutory bodies had ever directed the board, not to destroy the records,” he said, adding that the practice was being followed in accordance with the rules of business of the board. Mr Katwal said a section of politicians and even intellectuals had aired their opinions regarding the lack of transparency in the working of the board. “What sort of transparency they want and should I reveal the name of the persons who set the question papers, where we send them, who checks them or who are our experts for interviews?” he asked. He complained that there was no transparency even in the working of the enforcement officials making a search of his residences. “I asked for a copy of the search warrant, but they refused,” he said. The Chairman categorically denied there was any pressure on him from any quarter in the government to resign from the post. He said he had full faith in the law of the land and the Chief Minister, who has already declared that there would be no witch-hunt and that only the factual outcome of the search operations would decide the future course of action. He, however, declined to comment on whether he was fearing an arrest after the completion of the search exercise. The enforcement team during the search operation found some award lists of the SSSB examinations. Some shares and land purchase documents of some places in Himachal Pradesh and outside were also found in the room. The enforcement team, later left for Mr Katwal’s native village Badehra, 10 km from here. HAMIRPUR:
The HP State Subordinate Selection board (HPSSSB) which is under a cloud these days, is in a fix over the fresh recruitment to be made by it for various categories of employees in the state. The board had invited applications for various posts of clerk, anganwari supervisor, physical education teacher and headmaster in schools in class III category. In response to the board’s advertisements, nearly 40,000 persons had so for applied far the jobs. The envelopes containing the application forms were burnt at the crematorium of the board during the period when the search for incriminating documents was going on in the board on Monday evening. Mr Surendra Mohan Katwal, Chairman of the board, said fresh recruitment would be held and a process for this had already started. The board would decide the fate of the interview. He, however, failed to tell the exact date and time for this. Mr Tashi Dawa, a Member of the board, refused to say anything on the issue. There are reports that the state government has decided to frame new rules of business for the board in the coming days. There is a provision in the Rules of Business to burn the recruitment record of the board after 90 days of making recruitment for various posts. This time period is allowed for those who may feel aggrieved by the order of the board regarding the selections. The government was contemplating to give more teeth to the Secretary of the board, who is the real nominee of the state government in the board, which during the past four years has given jobs to 6,666 persons in 15 different categories of class III and class IV posts. |
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Greylag goose sighted
at Pong reservoir Chandigarh, March
13 Graylag goose breeds in Eurasia and visits northern India in the winter. The Pong Dam wetland, one of the largest man-made wetlands formed by raising a dam across the Beas and completed in 1976, has been one of the most frequented wetlands where the number of visiting migratory birds has been increasing year after year. Another notable observation was the presence of painted stork at the lake after a gap of 13 years. Among the known migratory birds sighted during the census were ruddy shelduck
(Brahminy Duck), egrets, white-necked stork, sarus crane, barheaded geese,
moorthens, godwits, peewits, eastern grey heron, pintails, cormorants,
pochards, mallards, gadwalls, darters, coots, red-necked grebes and black-necked grebes. The number of barheaded geese and pintails has increased significantly. For example, the number of pintails swelled from 27781 last year to 37572 this year. A large number of barheaded geese and Brahminy ducks were found and counted in green fields in the periphery of the lake. The wildlife wing of the Forests Department conducted a day-long census of water fowls visiting the Pong Dam lake on January 30 to study any deviations in the movement of migratory birds. According to the latest census operations, the wetland had on January 30 1,15,201 migratory birds. The number of winged visitors to the wetland in 1997-98, 1998-99,1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 were 35,499, 43,933, 70,556, 81,848 and 1,14,082, respectively. The first well-organised census was conducted in February last year. The purpose of organising these census operations, says Mr
Bargaal, is to study deviations, in the movement of migratory birds to their known destinations in northern India and to ascertain their various winter habitats so that proper and effective management of such wildlife sanctuaries is made. Mr Bargaal says that on January 30, the entire lake was divided into eight segments and different parties comprising two to three officials of the wildlife wing were deputed to conduct the head count. To avoid disturbing birds, only rowing boats were used in the operation. The operations that started at 11 a.m continued till 5 p.m. Mr Bargaal said proper steps, including intensive patrolling and supervision of the wetland area, have been taken to ensure the safety of these winged visitors from Siberia and the northern region. These birds normally start their homebound journeys by month-end. |
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‘Make food-for-work scheme viable’ Mandi, March 13 Addressing a meeting of district officials here on Wednesday he expressed the confidence that the augmentation project would go a long way in meeting the increased demand for drinking water in the town. He asked officials engaged in the execution of various works to implement the “food-for-work” scheme in the remote areas where crops had been damaged for the second year in succession due to drought. He wondered why the ‘food-for-work’ scheme which proved a boon in a hilly state like Uttaranchal and a big state like Andhra Pradesh was not launched in Himachal Pradesh in a big way. The minister said frantic efforts were being made to fill vacant posts in the remote and backward areas to mitigate the sufferings of people. He said neglected panchayats would be linked with roads on a priority basis. He assured that there would be complete transparency in the administration. He called upon the forest officials to launch a drive against the forest mafia by checking the illicit felling and smuggling of timber. He stressed that plantation of forests and their conservation was paramount for Himachal Pradesh. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr J.P. Singh, assured the minister that officials would work with devotion as a team to implement various works and projects. |
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Main parties put up nominees in tribal seats Shimla, March 13 The three segments held the key to majority in the wake of a hung Assembly in the 1998 elections when both the BJP and the Congress had secured 31 seats each. The BJP managed to form the government with the help of two Himachal Vikas Congress legislators and an Independent, but it was still short of a clear majority. The tribal areas witnessed the most lively electoral battle to date as both the BJP-HVC combine and the Congress made all-out efforts to win the seats on which the future of the government depended. This time the situation is entirely different as the outcome of the elections to the three seats will have no material impact on the political situation in the state. In the past tribesmen favoured the party which managed to form the government. In 1993 the Congress won all three seats — Kinnaur, Bharmour and Lahaul-Spiti — without any hiccups as it had already formed the government with a more than two-thirds majority. In the 1998 Assembly elections the BJP-HVC combine made a clean sweep of all three seats. The two parties did not have a pre-poll alliance. However, after having joined hands to form a non-Congress government, the two parties arrived at an understanding under which the BJP retired its candidate in Lahaul-Spiti in favour of the HVC nominee, Dr Ram Lal Markandey, who eventually won the seat and became a minister in the Dhumal government. The HVC, on the other hand, retired its candidate in Bharmour to pave the way for the victory of the BJP candidate, Mr Tulsi Ram. A similar understanding was arrived at in the case of Kinnaur seat which was won by Mr Chet Ram Negi of the BJP. This time again the BJP, the HVC and the Congress have put up candidates in all three seats. In Kinnaur, besides Mr Jagat Singh Negi (Congress), Mr S.C. Negi (HVC) and Tejwant Singh (BJP), Mr Sukh Dev of the CPM is also in the field. There are eight candidates in Lahaul-Spiti, including Mr Yuv Raj (BJP), Mr Raghubir Singh (Congress) and Dr R.L. Markandey (HVC). In Bharmour two Independents are in the fray, besides Mr Thakur Singh (Congress), Mr Tulsi Ram (BJP) and Mr Kartar Singh
(HVC). |
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Cong fails to hold back DGP (Vigilance) Shimla, March 13 It is worth mentioning that the case against Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, in connection with khairwood allotment was filed only after Mr Diwakar Prasad took over as the DGP (Vigilance). His predecessors were of the opinion that no case was made out. The orders for his posting at the Centre had been received before the charge of the government in the state but he was not relieved. He went on leave as soon as Mr Virbhadra Singh took over as the Chief Minister. |
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Speaker calls on Suraj Bhan Shimla, March 13 Mr Gangu Ram Musafir briefed the Governor about the business to be taken up during the ensuing session of
the Vidhan Sabha commencing from March 24. He informed the Governor that the Vidhan Sabha business would include motion of thanks on Governor’s Address, supplementary demands for the year 2002-03 and vote on account for the first quarter of 2003-04 because regular Budget would be presented in the House in June. Mr Gangu Ram presented Himachali cap and a shawl to the Governor on his first visit after being elected as Speaker. He also presented a set of recent publications brought out by the Vidhan Sabha to him. |
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Volunteers get rid of banners Nurpur, March 13 It is pertinent to mention that the Himachal Government had banned the use of recycled polythene in the state a few years ago. But the political parties overlooked the ban and violated the directions of the Election Commission of India during poll campaign. But now after the Assembly elections, the Lok Kalyan Manch, a local voluntary organisation, has come forward and launched a drive to remove polythene publicity material in the town. The volunteers yesterday removed party flags and other publicity material made of the recycled polythene from the markets. |
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Rs 6.53 crore for Buddhist centres He was inaugurating a state level “Chhesu Mela” and Buddhist Mahotsav at Rewalsar in Mandi district. He laid the foundation stone of the Rs 6.53 crore Buddhist circuit project at Rewalsar. Basic amenities at all Buddhist centres in the state would be provided. The project envisages museum, rain shelter, toilets and parking facilities at Bhuddhist places in the state. He praised Buddhism, and said the message of peace and communal harmony of Lord Buddha was more relevant today. The Chief Minister said panchayats would be connected by roads in next five years. He said other sectors, like health, irrigation, drinking water and power were also on priority agenda. He said corruption would not be tolerated and the guilty would not be allowed to get scot-free, howsoever, influential and highly placed he might be. The Chief Minister said technical and job-oriented education would also be given priority to ensure gainful employment to the youths. He also criticised the previous government for putting the economy of the state off the rails and burdening the state with huge loan.
UNI |
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Two killed in road mishap Shimla, March 13 After the accident, they were succumbed to their injuries. The deceased have been identified as Hans Raj and Khoob Ram.
UNI |
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Avalanche
disrupts water supply Chamba, March 13 |
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120 caught copying
in HP board exams Kangra march 13 |
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Video
Shimla, March 13