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Wednesday,
August 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Virbhadra
against foreign investment in media
Research
scholars angry at not getting jobs CM assures
jobs to locals in hydel projects Missing
cop’s kin suspect foul play |
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MLA
development fund scheme revived Virbhadra
asks Muslims to educate kids Model
jail still a dream 16 cr
for roads, water schemes in Arki area 36
colonisers bid for building Waknaghat Graveyard
land case takes new turn Ban
animal sacrifice, says samiti Car
falls into Beas, 4 killed Pratibha
Singh to contest from Mandi 
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Virbhadra
against foreign investment in media Shimla, August 26 Inaugurating a seminar on media here today he said media was the most powerful instrument for influencing the masses and by allowing foreign investment others would be in a position to control “our collective thought process” which was not desirable. He decried the tendency to present newspaper as a product marketed with the sole motive of making profit. He said idealism was no longer the driving or motivating force and committed journalists were a vanishing tribe. He said the corporate and multi-national’s driven journalism was not in the interest of the country. The companies were more interested in increasing their advertisement revenue and circulation and engaged in a cut-throat competition. Yellow journalism was also flourishing and some were using it as an instrument to blackmail. The Chief Minister said IT revolution had turned the world into a global village. He expressed concern over the degradation of the ethics of journalism and their responsibility towards the people, who had immense faith in the printed word. Mr Radheshyam Sharma, a former editor, said the entry of satellite news channels had made the media as powerful as never before and with it the responsibility of journalists had also increased. He lamented that some media barons considered newspaper as a branded product. Mr Suresh Seth said writers and journalists could not be separated into different categories. They complimented each other. The journalists too enriched literature in their own way. He said many noted literati like Ernest Hemmingway and Fredrick Forsyth were journalists. Mr Vijay Sehgal, a former editor, traced the history of journalism in the hill state from the pre-Independence era. He said the first newspaper was published from Shimla way back in 1848. Dr Chander Trikha, a senior journalist, spoke on the challenges facing the fourth estate today. Mr Prem Sharma, director, language art and culture, dwelt on the role of media in the present day context. |
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Research
scholars angry at not getting jobs Solan, August 26 The fact that 86 candidates have failed to find jobs despite completing their doctorate degree has become a cause of concern for research scholars. They say 58 posts of Assistant Professor and equivalent are lying vacant, for which no appointments have been made since 2000. In a few departments, no new appointment have been made for the past more than five years despite vacancies. The association of research scholars has decided to meet the Governor in this regard. This has not deterred the university authorities from making annual admissions to graduate, postgraduate, doctorate and MBA classes, rues the association. Despite having doctorate degree, they have not got jobs for the past more than seven or eight years. The few employed with national agriculture technology projects are getting a pittance, ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000. With the closure of these projects in December, they will be left to fend for themselves. A number of posts are lying vacant in the Chief Minister’s constituency and in research stations in tribal areas. A total of 21 posts of various categories are lying vacant in the regional horticulture research stations of Sharbo, Mashobra, Jacch, Bajaura and Bhota and eight in the research stations at Tabo, Kalpa and Dhaulakuan. A total of 25 posts of Assistant Professor are lying vacant in the departments of plant pathology, entomology, post-harvest technology, vegetable crops, fruit breeding, pomology and forestry. According to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.S. Negi, no fresh recruitment can be made owing to the ban on fresh appointments. The new government has issued no direction to lift the ban on recruitment, in effect since the tenure of the BJP government. He has suggested to the youth to generate self-employment opportunities, adding that the placement cell of the university has always been endeavouring to get the maximum youths adjusted in the government and private sectors. |
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CM assures jobs to locals in hydel projects Shimla, August 26 Stating this while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the 1500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri Hydel Power Project being constructed by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, here today, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the government would ensure employment to the local people keeping in view their educational qualifications. He said that there was no dearth of technically qualified persons in the state which needed to be provided employment in the hydel power projects. He said that the state had constituted a high-power committee to review the MoUs especially with a view to ensure due share of employment to the Himachali people. The government would make it mandatory for executing agency, contractors and sub-contractors to honour the employment clause. He reiterated the government’s resolve to generate 8000 MW additional hydel power over the next five years, besides accelerating the completion of ongoing hydel power projects. He directed the Nathpa-Jhakri hydel power authorities to complete the project early which would not only provide the state 25 per cent equity share and 12 per cent free power but also additional power at generation cost. |
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Missing
cop’s kin suspect foul play Kumarhatti, August 26 On August 14 he talked to his wife over phone from Pandoh. He has not reported for roll call at 8 pm and till then there was no information of him. Battalion authorities have not informed his family about the incident on August 20 his friend Hem Raj called up at his home and told his wife about the incident, said Lakshmi. Next day my elder brother Mehar Singh along with another relative went to Pandoh. They approached a DSP there and asked for an inquiry into the matter, she said. On August 23 the five relatives including my husband again visited Pandoh. They got poor response from battalion, she alleged. They were told that search was on to trace the cop. Ms Lakshmi has also reported the matter to the SP, Solan and a complaint lodged with Garkhal police chowki by Roop Singh’s wife. Mr Panchi Lal Thakur, Commanding Officer of 3rd battalion at Pandoh said that Roop Singh was a mentally disturbed. In the past he had left the battalion twice or thrice without informing anybody. All police stations and senior police officers have informed about the incident and efforts were on to trace him, he said. He hoped that like in the past he might have gone to his relatives. The relatives of Roop Singh have blamed battalion authorities for describing him as a mentally upset person as he was quite normal. |
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MLA development fund scheme revived Shimla, August 26 A sum of the Rs 5.20 crore was released under the scheme placing Rs 8 lakh at the disposal of each legislator as the first instalment. In all, an allocation of Rs 24 lakh will be provided for each constituency under the scheme. The legislators will have to submit their proposals to the respective Deputy Commissioner within a month. The scheme was first introduced by the Dhumal government in 1999-2000 with an annual allocation of Rs 15 lakh, which was later increased to Rs 20 lakh. However, the government came under pressure for the withdrawal of the scheme on the plea that it helped the opposition Congress, which had 28 legislators, as much as the ruling BJP. The legislators could not utilise the fund for the year 2000-01 for developmental works as the entire amount was transferred to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the wake of flash floods in the Sutlej. In the following year, no allocation was made in the Budget under the scheme, indicating that it had been scrapped without making a formal announcement. The revival of the scheme has come as a big boost to the legislators who will now be able to carry out developmental works in their respective constituencies as per local needs. Mr Mukesh
Agnihottari, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, said the revival of the scheme reflected the commitment of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, to decentralise the planning and development process. He said unlike the previous Dhumal government, the Congress government took decision rising above party considerations in the matter of development. The funds spent in any constituency would only benefit the people of the state. |
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Virbhadra
asks Muslims to educate kids Shimla, August 26 The
government was considering to generate employment opportunities for Muslims keeping in view their educational qualifications. He called upon the Muslims to educate their children and assured all possible assistance from the government in this regard. The Chief Minister said his government during its previous regime had issued notification to provide land for graveyards at places with Muslim concentration. The orders would be reiterated and directions issued to ensure that the land for graveyard was made available, he added. The government would also assist the community in promoting its craftsmanship which was unique in itself and would go a long way in providing self employment avenues to the people. He assured all possible help for the successful conduct of Haj pilgrimage next year for which 41 persons from different districts had applied. He said suitable accommodation to house the committee office at Shimla would be provided with necessary staff and other facilities. He directed the nodal officers of the committee to coordinate with the Central Haj Committee in this regard. |
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Model jail still a dream HAMIRPUR: Though the state government has acquired about 68 kanals just near the Police Lines, near Lahlri village, for a model jail at
Hamirpur, no funds have so far been made available for this ambitious project. Mr Vijay Chandan, SDM, Hamirpur, who is also Superintendent of the sub jail, says that no funds have been received for the construction of a jail at Hamirpur. Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal says that the state government had arranged funds for the Hamirpur jail complex from the Central Government under a centrally sponsored programme. But no one knows where these funds have gone. An incident of escape by an inmate, Penu Ram (75), followed by the jail-crash by BJP workers and leaders led by Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal have compelled the
government to think about having a district jail here. Both these incidents took place in July due to the lack of a safe sub jail complex here. The present sub jail here has two barracks — one each for men and women under trial. The barrack for men can accommodate 11 undertrial prisoners. The situation becomes alarming when the number of persons increases here due to conflicts or agitations. Two incidents of jailbreak have been reported here since 1972. Two undertrial prisoners escaped from the sub jail by cutting a window. While one of them is still at large, the other returned after a few hours. Another incident of escape was reported on July 6 when Penu Ram, an aged undertrial, who was cutting grass outside the jail complex, escaped. However, the security and safety of the jail came into question when BJP leaders and workers gate-crashed into it on July 8. So much so that they entered the inner arena of the jail in the presence of policemen who watched helplessly. The government has suspended former Assistant Superintendent of Jail Bikram Chand Katoch for alleged dereliction of duty and sent to Kanda jail in Shimla district. People say that if workers of any political party can throng the jail in the presence of the local administration what will happen if a gang of criminals does the same during the night when no one is present there. The sub jail complex, which is without any boundary wall, is unsafe as per the jail manual. |
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16 cr
for roads, water schemes in Arki area Solan, August 26 He said link roads, potable water and irrigation schemes worth about Rs 16 crore were at various stages of implementation in the block. He said out of this Rs 4.5 crore was being spent on five link roads under the Prime Minister Sarak Yojana, and Rs 3.5 crore on a total stretch of 20-km of roads at various locations under the Nabard-aided schemes. The most backward and remotely situated gram panchayats of Mangal and Bairal would be shortly linked by a Rs 1 crore road. The work on the project, which would help over 1,000 peasants take their produce to markets economically, had already been started. Mr Thakur said that a Rs 75 lakh lift irrigation-cum-potable water scheme for Kunihar would shortly be commissioned, an amount of Rs 19 lakh had been earmarked for Khad Kanetan, Rs 15 lakh for Kotli and Rs 36.50 lakh for the Larech Lift Irrigation Schemes, in the current budget. He said the Sair mela would be held at Arki on September 17 and 18. |
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36 colonisers bid for building Waknaghat Shimla, August 26 As many as 36 colonisers have submitted bids in response to the tenders invited by the state housing board for preparing a detailed project report for the proposed township. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) is among those keen to provide professional consultancy services required for preparing the detailed project report. The HUDCO, which is providing Rs 100 crore loan to the board for various projects, has provided consultancy for similar projects and even bagged the prestigious Prime Minister award for one such township being built near Jammu. The proposed township is planned for a population of 30,000 midway between Solan and Shimla on the national highway. The board had identified 2,200 bighas for the purpose. However, a part of it, as it turned out later, fell in the common pool and could not be transferred for the project. |
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Graveyard
land case takes
new turn Nurpur, August 26 The lessee who had tried to take possession of the land measuring 450 metres on August failed to do so due to protest. But on August 21 the lessee took the possession with police help. No demarcation of the land was taken from Revenue Department before taking the possession of the land. Members of the minority community are objecting to the allotment of the land of the graveyard which they have been utilising for burying the dead. They have already submitted memorandums to the state Human Rights Commission and the CBI demanding a high-level probe into leasing out the graveyard land they claimed could not be allotted. |
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Ban animal sacrifice, says samiti Chamba, August 26 The president of the samiti , Swami Virendrananda Giri, said the sacrifice of animals in pilgrim centres was against the religious sentiments of the people. Swami Giri urged the Himachal Government to issue directives to the Manimahesh Pilgrims Committee to impose a ban on the sacrifice of sheep and goats during the pilgrimage. He appealed to devotees to shun superstitions about animal sacrifices to appease God. |
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Car falls into Beas, 4 killed Kulu, August 26 The bodies of Ghanshyam (44) of Kararsu village and Hotam Ram (21) of Chogan village were handed over to the relatives after postmortem examination. The other two victims were Mehar Chand (32) of Kararsu village and Narender Bahadur (35) of Nepal. |
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Pratibha
Singh to contest from Mandi Mandi, August 26 She gave her consent to contest at a public meeting in Shiba-Badar in response to a demand by Congress workers supported by IPH Minister, Thakur Kaul Singh. “I will abide by the order of the high command,” she said. Mr Maheshwar Singh, a sitting MP, is likely to be the BJP candidate in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. |
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Sonia Indian citizen, says Youth Cong leader Hamirpur, August 26 Talking to mediapersons here, he claimed that the BJP had no future and would be wiped out from the Indian political scene after the next Lok Sabha elections. He refused to comment on the appointment of the new state Youth Congress chief. |
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Rinpoche meets
Dalai Lama Dharamsala, August 26 The two-day meeting of the Task Force was held on August 23 and 24 and reviewed the out come of the two visits of the special envoys. |
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