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Tuesday,
August 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Cop
killed, SPO hurt in encounter with militants Disasters
jolt authorities into action BJP
polarising electorate, says Stokes Coca Cola
bottling plant sludge has heavy metals HC notice
to Himachal, UT on killing of cows Sujanpur
Tihra cries for facelift Four
police officers transferred |
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Cop killed, SPO hurt in encounter with militants Shimla, August 11 The two persons, who were part of a six-member team which went to the area to investigate a case of cattle theft along with three villagers, had been missing since the past two days. They got separated from the team while climbing up the thickly forested hill slope. While six members of the team returned from Buja Dhar after they were told by some villagers in the Jammu and Kashmir area that some militants were present in the area and it was not safe to go further, three were left behind. Of the three members, who were left behind, one reached the Mangli police post yesterday afternoon and informed that he got separated from Mohinder Raj and Dhian Singh in thick fog. He also said that the two might have lost their way in the forest. The other team members also said that they had heard shots being fired on the other side of Buja Dhar while they were returning. They were, however, not sure of what exactly had happened. That there was an encounter with militants was confirmed only today when Dhian Singh who was injured in the incident returned. He said there was an exchange of fire and claimed that Mohinder Raj had killed one of the militants. He was shot after he ran out of ammunition. Both Mohinder Raj and Dhian Singh were armed with AK-47 rifles. There were 43 cartridges in the magazine of Dhian Singh’s, rifle indicating that he had also fired 17 shots. Mr Prem Singh Additional Director-General of Police, (Law and Order) said that immediate concern was to bring back the body of the constable. He said as the DIG, Northern Range, Mr O.C. Thakur, had already reached Tissa to organise the operation to retrieve the body. A team would be sent only tomorrow as it would involve trekking of 20 km to reach the spot where the encounter took place. The operation would have to be planned properly as militants could still be hiding in the forest. He said it was not yet known whether the incident took place within the border or across it. The region was mountainous with no proper demarcation of the border. Whether any militant had also been killed in the encounter would be confirmed only after the team returned. Reports that militants were moving in the high hill ranges along the border were being received for quite sometime. However, no untoward incident took place as the authorities had banned the movement of local people beyond the 34 police posts set up along the border. The six-member team had gone to investigate the complaint of local villagers who alleged that cattle had been taken away and sold to someone across Buja Dhar. The incident has alerted security agencies and vigil stepped up along the 210 km border with the Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Disasters
jolt authorities into action Kulu, August 11 Directions have been issued to all the agencies and private parties, executing power projects like Larji, Parbati and Malana, to provide exact details of the number of labourers engaged and the sites where the work is being undertaken by tomorrow. This has been done after 39 persons were buried under the debris brought down by the Kangni Nullah on August 7. “Direction have been issued to all the 28 power-project-executing agencies to provide us the entire information by August 12, so that we have an exact idea about the migrant labour in the district,” said Kulu Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.D.
Nazeem. This is being done with the objective of shifting these people to safer locations so that in case of a calamity, loss of life and property can be restricted to the minimum. Similarly, as far as permanent residents of the district, living next to nullahs or along the river are concerned, the patwaris of the revenue department and forest guards will gather complete information about the numbers and location of the settlements. They have been asked to file the details with the Subdivisional Magistrates concerned by August 14. The district authorities said though verbal directions had been issued to all the agencies to move their labours’ tents to safer locations in view of the inclement weather conditions but some of them had not complied with the orders so now written instructions have been shot to all of them. Infact, public announcements have been made to warn the public against cloudburst and flash floods, earlier also. With natural calamities and disasters in Kulu increasing since the early 90s, the authorities feel that the exact details of the total number of labourers working at all the 28 projects in the district, road construction and other works should be with them. Despite a number of tragedies in Kulu district during the last decade, the authorities had not woken up to the grim reality of nature’s fury. “Even though the casualty figure in the Puliah Nullah was put at 35 and at the Kangni Nullah at 39, I agree that the toll figure could be higher, as nobody, including the labour contractor, had the exact number. So, there are high chances that the number was higher,”
admits an official. Some of the big power projects being executed in the district includes the Rs 1,000 crore Rohtang Tunnel, 2051 MW Parbati Project, Larji Project, Malana and 126 MW Aleo-Dhawani Project. |
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Cloudburst: two more bodies recovered Manali, August 11 According to Mr P.K. Mahajan, Commander, 38 BRTF (GREF), the bodies were recovered from between Palchan and Behang villages. He said the bodies had not been identified and total bodies recovered so far was 30 and bodies were still missing. |
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BJP polarising electorate,
says Stokes Shimla, August 11 Stating this at a press conference here today, Mrs Vidya Stokes, state PCC chief, said while she would tour the entire state during the campaign, the other party office-bearers would take care of their respective districts. She said with the Lok Sabha poll drawing near the BJP leaders were raising sensitive issues to polarise the electorate. She said the Congress would not allow the BJP’s game plan to succeed and its workers and leaders would go to the masses and caution them against the designs of the BJP. She said the campaign would follow the ongoing the “kranti yatra” of the party to keep the organisational machinery fit for the Lok Sabha elections. The “kranti yatra” would culminate at various district headquarters on August 15 with meetings to be addressed by various ministers and senior party leaders. Mrs Stokes said the party and the government were working in complete coordination. She said the suggestion of the party high command that ministers should sit in the PCC office at least once a week to address the problems of party workers, she said some arrangement would be made in this regard soon in consultation with the ministers. |
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Coca Cola bottling plant sludge has heavy metals Solan, August 11 Mr Gupta, who is based here, revealed about the reported finding of hazardous concentrations of heavy metals in the sludge emanating from the effluent treatment plant of the company. He said that even though Coke’s bottling plant at Baddi had been functioning for the past several years, it had not been granted requisite clearance for the storage of the sludge as the plant did not meet conditions of the Act. Refusing to comment on why no action was initiated against the bottling plant even as it kept on functioning for the past nearly four years without the mandatory sludge storage licence, Gupta said that a proper inquiry would be instituted in the matter. He, however, confirmed that hazardous quantities of heavy metals were found in the samples of sludge taken from the plant and tested in the Board’s Central Testing Laboratory at Parwanoo, on August 7. This particular laboratory had been recognised for complying with the relevant norms of the Environment Protection Act, by the Government of India. He released figures of metals found in a kg of the sludge sample: Qty/sludge
Lead
Zinc
Manganese
Mr Gupta said that hazardous quantities of heavy metals were also found in samples of sludge lifted on January 21, 03 and June 30,02. He said that he could not speculate on the origin of these harmful concentrations of heavy metals in the sludge. He refused to answer when asked if these metals could be part of chemicals or detergents used to clean the plant premises, crates or even empty bottles. Mr Gupta said that the Board’s concerns were limited to environment protection and pollution control, adding that the samples of the sludge were taken strictly as required by the law. He, however, stated that strict action would be taken against the bottling plant in case it was found that they had been releasing the sludge into the environment. Head of the Plant R.P. Singh, said that his unit had been following the instructions and guidelines issued to them by the Pollution Control Board authorities. He said that the plant had proper effluent treatment plant. Asked what they did with the sludge left over after the effluent treatment process, he said that it was converted into compost in due course of time. When
asked as to how the compost was used or otherwise disposed of, he said that it was applied in the plant’s own farms and garden. He said that he was not aware whether the plant required a licence for storing the sludge even on its own premises, as being maintained on grounds of it being a hazardous waste by the Pollution Control Board member, Mr Arvind Gupta. |
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HC notice to Himachal, UT on killing
of cows Shimla, August 11 A Division bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta and Mr Justice Roshan Lal Khurana today directed Chief Secretary Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory Chandigarh Administration, Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police Sirmour to file reply by August 28. Mr Dhumal has averred in his letter that on July 26, 2003 some residents of Paonta area informed him about the incident. It was averred that a truck of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh carrying cows, was seen pushing out cows while running on high speed. Letter further revealed that truck was escorted by a gypsy of Chandigarh Corporation and 24 cows died on the sport. It was further averred that residents of that area have demanded a probe into this incident. Mr Dhumal urged the Chief Justice to direct the state government to inquire into the matter and appropriate action be taken against the delinquents. He further urged to direct that the government may ensure that adjoining states were not allowed to interfere in the territory of Himachal Pradesh for such activity. |
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Sujanpur Tihra cries
for facelift SUJANPUR TIHRA (HAMIRPUR): This ancient and historic town of Himachal located on the Hamirpur-Palampur highway, about 25 km from Hamirpur, is crying for a facelift. Nothing concrete has been done by the successive state governments to restore its glorious past. The town has the state’s lone Sainik School located on the western side of the chaugan. Once the capital of great Katoch rulers of Kangra hills, it was founded by Raja Ghamand Chand in 1761. It has now been reduced to a small business centre and the headquarters of a tehsil. Located on the left bank of the Beas, this town badly needs various infrastructural facilities like a modern bus stand and drainage. The local Nagar Panchayat, which is plagued by intra-party squabbles, has done precious little for its upkeep. There are allegations that members of the Nagar
Panchayat fight amongst them on petty party lines, doing little for development. There is haphazard growth of wooden kiosks alongside the historic chaugan measuring 1,019 kanals. Though the state government provided iron fencing around the chaugan, the failure of the Nagar Panchayat to shift “khokha” owners has marred the beauty of the chaugan. This ground was used for parades by the army of Katoch Kings, who used to watch it performing various exercises from atop the Tihra hills. Though the plying of all types of vehicles is banned in the chaugan area, vehicles of the district administration and those managing the affairs of the town are often seen crossing it. During the annual Holi fair, even trucks and buses are parked in the ground. The town lacks a bus stand. Buses are parked near the chaugan in an open place. Taxis are also parked there. Efforts were made to have a bus stand near the Kali Mata temple but it did not materialise due to various political reasons. This chaugan can be converted into a beautiful stadium and a sports college can be opened here nothing has so for been done in this respect by those who ruled the area from time to time. The local Community Health Centre presents a pathetic sight. There is a shortage of medical officers and other para-medical staff here. Local people blame the rulers of the time for neglecting the health centre. The historic Tihra Fort atop the town’s beautiful hillock is a shambles. The ASI has failed to maintain the fort as a result of which famous Kangra paintings are losing their charm. The ASI has not yet taken any steps for upkeep of the fort and temples located inside it. Himachal Health Minister Chandresh Kumari, who is also the owner of the fort property, has also not done much to protect the temples and the fort. The town has three ancient temples of Narbdeshwra and Gauri Shanar at Sujanpur and Lord Shiva at the Tihra fort. Residents are eagerly waiting for the day when the town gets back its past glory. |
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Four police officers transferred Shimla, August 11 Mr Rattan Singh, Superintendent of Police, India Reserve Battalion, Una, takes over as Superintendent of Police, enforcement, Dharamsala. Mrs Satwant, district police chief, Una, will hold the additional charge of SP, India Reserve Battalion. Mr
A.R. Dhiman, DSP, 2nd battalion, Dharamsala, goes as DSP, enforcement, Shimla, and Mr Krishan Chand, DSP, 2nd battalion, Dharamsala, has been posted as DSP, enforcement, Chamba. The transfer of Mr Gulab Singh as DSP, enforcement, Shimla, has been cancelled. |
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