Sunday, September 21, 2003, Chandigarh, India






National Capital Region--Delhi

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

VC’s powers curtailed in revised draft
Shimla, September 20
The government has again sent the ordinance amending the Himachal Pradesh University Act to the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, for approval after incorporating some of the suggestions made by him. 

Candidates shaken over BDS fee hike
Shimla, September 20
The tearing haste in which the state government has fixed high fee for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course for the four private dental colleges in utter disregard to the directions of the Supreme Court has raised many an eyebrow and left the aspirants, who have cleared the entrance test, shattered.

Mysterious fever claims one more life
Shimla, September 20
Mysterious fever claimed one more life today taking the death toll to 13. Kamal Devi (45) of Bamta village in Chopal died at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here today.

Implement Cong programme, bureaucrats told
Shimla, September 20
Mr Kaul Singh Thakur Irrigation and Public Health Minister who is also chairman of the Cabinet sub- committee for implementation of the election manifesto, has directed all departments to prepare for expeditious implementation of the Congress programme mentioned in the manifesto.

Mobile dispensaries for industrial clusters sought
Shimla, September 20
The Himachal government has urged the Centre to introduce mobile dispensaries under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme for workers in scattered industrial clusters. Mr Sat Mahajan, Himachal Minister for Labour and Employment, said that ESI dispensaries were set up if the number of workers exceeded 500. 



YOUR TOWN
Chamba
Hamirpur
Dharamsala
Shimla


EARLIER STORIES
  5,000 throng Army recruitment rally
Hamirpur, September 20
A recruitment rally organised by the Assam Rifles at the Government College ground began here today. Nearly 5,000 youths took part in the rally for 200 posts of constables. The recruitment process will continue till September 25. In the first phase today, youths from Mandi, Kangra and Kulu districts took part in the rally.

Youths take part in a fitness test during a recruitment rally at the Anoo College ground, Hamirpur, on Saturday.

Youths take part in a fitness test during a recruitment rally at the Anoo College ground, Hamirpur

Man-eater panther claims third victim
Dharamsala, September 20
A man-eating panther prowling in the vicinity of Dehra subdivision has claimed its third victim. It killed a four-year-old girl at upper Kariara village under the Jwalamukhi police station.

Leopard cub found dead
Hamirpur, September 20
A five-and-a half-foot-long female leopard cub was found dead in the forest near Sarahkar village of the district last evening. The cub had eaten some animals infected with some disease, according to Dr R.P. Kalia, veterinary surgeon, Hamirpur.


Dr R.P. Kalia, veterinary surgeon, performs postmortem on a leopard cub at the Veterinary Hospital, Hamirpur, on Saturday.
— Photo by Chander Shekhar Sharma
Dr R.P. Kalia, veterinary surgeon, performs postmortem

WLL connections for Chamba hamlets
Chamba, September 20
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to give WLL (Wireless in Local Loop connections at all villages and hamlets on the alpine borderland of Chamba district by installing a communication tower at Deoga in the Salooni border sector by the end this financial year.

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VC’s powers curtailed in revised draft
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20
The government has again sent the ordinance amending the Himachal Pradesh University Act to the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, for approval after incorporating some of the suggestions made by him.

The revised draft of the ordinance was approved by the Cabinet last evening by circulation. While the government has made most of the suggestions made by Mr Kokje part of the ordinance, it has refused to dilute the provision for “suspending” the Vice-Chancellor and modify the qualification for appointment of an IAS officer and the State Administrative Service officer as Registrar of the university on deputation.

The Governor was of the view that a term like “suspension” would be too harsh for the head of the institution and had suggested that instead a provision be made for sending the Vice-Chancellor on leave or withdrawal of his financial and administrative powers.

However, the government saw nothing wrong in it as such provisions were applicable to all top civil servants and even the Chief of the Army Staff. A new Section — 9(b) — had been added to the Act, under which, the government would be empowered to order inquiry into the financial and administrative affairs of the university. The report along with the recommended action, including removal from the post, will be sent to the Chancellor, who will take action on it.

Mr Kokje had suggested that the experience for appointment as Registrar on deputation should be increased to 15 years so that it conformed to the UGC guidelines. In this regard, the government pointed out that the guidelines issued in 1998 had been withdrawn subsequently. The new guidelines issued in 2000 were concerning mostly the teaching staff and silent as far as the appointment of Registrar was concerned. As such it felt no necessity to modify the clause of the original draft, under which, an IAS officer with five of years of experience and an HAS officer with nine years of experience was eligible for appointment to the post.

Similarly, a provision for appointing a Finance Officer on deputation from the state accounts service has been made and the incumbent will be an officer of the level of Comptroller. In case these posts are not filled by deputation, the appointments will be made as per the statutes of the university.

It has been made mandatory for the Vice-Chancellor to get all decisions taken by him under emergency powers ratified by the Executive Council within 60 days, failing which, these will cease to have effect. The Vice-Chancellor has been debarred from using emergency power for making appointments, removing officers or assigning jobs to curb its misuse.

New university posts and departments will be opened only in consultation and with the approval of the government.

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Candidates shaken over BDS fee hike
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20
The tearing haste in which the state government has fixed high fee for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course for the four private dental colleges in utter disregard to the directions of the Supreme Court has raised many an eyebrow and left the aspirants, who have cleared the entrance test, shattered.

As per the fee structure notified by the government for the 2003-04 academic session the annual fee for candidates sponsored by the state against the 50 per cent merit seats will be Rs 20,000, more than double as compared to Rs 9,200 last year. Similarly, for the 50 per cent management seats the fee has been increased to Rs 2,25,000 from Rs 86,250, whereas the NRI seats have been done away with. There were nine NRI seats in each college with 60 seats. Even if the NRI seats are taken into account the average fee has been increased from Rs 88,000 to Rs 1,35,000,a hike of over 40 per cent.

With the colleges insisting on a refundable security of Rs 100,000 and bank guarantee for the fee to be paid over the next three years, the candidates will have to virtually arrange Rs 11 lakh for admission, which a few Himachalis could afford. It is hardly surprising that the management seats are going abegging and, so far not a single candidate has opted for admission against these seats even though the counselling has been going on for the past one week. The parents are stunned by the government decision and they have already made representations for its review. Besides, a reduction in fee they are also demanding that there should be no compulsion for furnishing bank guarantees and only a token amount should be taken as refundable security.

Although it is mentioned in the notification that the fee structure has been revised in pursuance of the verdict of the apex court, but while doing so the directions of the court have been conveniently ignored. The court had laid down the mechanism and procedure for the determination of fee as per which a committee headed by a retired judge of the high court is to be set up for the purpose. The judge, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, will nominate up to five members, including doctors, chartered accountants and other experts required for carrying out the exercise for the determination of fee in an objective manner. The application for the fee revision will have to be filed in April by each college before the committee, which will give its decision by October so that it could be made part of the prospectus for the next year. In case the committee is not satisfied by the fee structure proposed by a college, it can reject it outrightly and lay down one of its own.

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Mysterious fever claims one more life
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20
Mysterious fever claimed one more life today taking the death toll to 13. Kamal Devi (45) of Bamta village in Chopal died at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here today. As many as 3 new cases were brought to the hospital and at present 31 patients were undergoing treatment.

Dr Hardyal, Medical Superintendent, said over the past 20 days, 32 patients had been discharged. In all, 76 cases were brought to the hospital.

The four-member team of the National Institute of Communicable Disease that visited the state on September 18 and 19 to ascertain the root cause of the fever had indicated a strong possibility of rickettsial disease. It had also taken bone marrow samples of some patients.

The team returned to Delhi en route of the Central Research Institute, Kasauli, that had tested some samples.

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Implement Cong programme, bureaucrats told
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20
Mr Kaul Singh Thakur Irrigation and Public Health Minister who is also chairman of the Cabinet sub- committee for implementation of the election manifesto, has directed all departments to prepare for expeditious implementation of the Congress programme mentioned in the manifesto.

Presiding over his first meeting with the secretaries and heads of various departments regarding the implementation of the election manifesto, which had been adopted as policy document by the state government, he said the ruling party was duty bound to implement its election manifesto. He said promises, involving no financial implication, should be implemented immediately and the rest in a phased manner.

The minister directed the Public Works Department to work out how many panchayats were without the road link and how much time it would take to provide these with connectivity. He said the Education Department should identify areas where need-based educational institutions needed to be opened. The health Department should also strengthen itself with men and material.

It came up at the meeting that the user charges imposed by the previous government had been withdrawn and to meet the shortage of medical staff, 100 doctors and 181 nurses were being recruited. He said 500 posts of para- teachers had been sanctioned to meet the shortage of teachers, especially in the backward, and tribal areas.

Mr Thakur sought effective steps for speedy exploitation of the immense hydel potential of the state.

Ms Asha Kumari, Education Minister, said deployment of paramedical staff should be rationalised and the vacant posts should be filled up on priority. Mr B.B. Butail, the Revenue Minister, said land for construction of houses for the landless persons should be identified at the earliest.

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Mobile dispensaries for industrial clusters sought
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20
The Himachal government has urged the Centre to introduce mobile dispensaries under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme for workers in scattered industrial clusters.

Mr Sat Mahajan, Himachal Minister for Labour and Employment, said that ESI dispensaries were set up if the number of workers exceeded 500. However, in Himachal there were small industrial estates where the number of workers was much less. Mobile dispensaries would be able to provide medical care to them.

He said also urged the Centre to make 100 per cent reimbursement of the funds raised through the contribution made by the state and the employees. At present only 50 per cent of it was being reimbursed. The total amount raised was Rs 6 crore whereas only half of it had been reimbursed. He also sought a modern diagnostic centre at Baddi.

Mr Mahajan said that the Union Ministry for Surface Transport had sanctioned Rs 20 crore for a new bridge across the Chakki Khad on the Mandi-Pathankot national highway near Kandwal. He said the existing bridge was old and had outlived its life. The bridge connecting Punjab and Himachal areas would be constructed by the state PWD. He urged the ministry to convene a meeting of the Chief Secretaries and the chief engineers concerned of the two states to work on the bridge.

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5,000 throng Army recruitment rally
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, September 20
A recruitment rally organised by the Assam Rifles at the Government College ground began here today. Nearly 5,000 youths took part in the rally for 200 posts of constables.

The recruitment process will continue till September 25. In the first phase today, youths from Mandi, Kangra and Kulu districts took part in the rally.

The hotels and inns of the town being inadequate to accommodate such a huge number of persons, many youths had to spend nights in the open. Hundreds of job seekers persons were seen sleeping even in the Dang-da-Kwali forest area.

Many shopkeepers and owners of newly constructed houses in the Anoo area also earned a lot by allowing job seekers to sleep on their vacant premises for Rs 20 per person for one night.

Food vendors did a roaring business today. They were busy in preparing their items since this morning. Bread and butter were brought from outside. House owners alleged that the job seekers had defaced the surroundings.

The Hamirpur district administration had arranged water for the Assam Rifles men and all candidates.

Mr Abhishek Trivedi, district police chief, said that two India Reserve Battalions had been deployed there to maintain law and order during the recruitment. Except a minor incident where the wall of a house near the college ground was broken by surging job seekers, the first day of the rally ended peacefully.

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Man-eater panther claims third victim

Dharamsala, September 20
A man-eating panther prowling in the vicinity of Dehra subdivision has claimed its third victim. It killed a four-year-old girl at upper Kariara village under the Jwalamukhi police station.

According to the police, Subhash Chand, father of four-year-old Archana, had taken her out to the forests last night when a panther pounced upon her and carried her away. Her half-eaten body was recovered this morning.

The Dehra Divisional Forest Officer, Mr Joshi, confirmed the killing of Archana and said she was the third victim of the man-eater. According to the DFO, the animal is a female and appears to be injured in the front left paw which has debilitated her from hunting her prey. It has therefore, turned a man-eater.

Mr Joshi said that the man-eater was prowling in the area between Jwalamukhi, Dehra and Bankhandi and all killings had been reported from there.

He said the Forest Department had declared the animal man-eater and appointed hunters to kill it . One team was already on the trail of the man-eater while another had been deployed today. He said two traps had also been laid to catch the animal. All efforts were being made to kill the animal before it claimed any more lives. Meanwhile, there is panic in the area and people, particularly small children, do not venture out in the dark.

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Leopard cub found dead
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, September 20
A five-and-a half-foot-long female leopard cub was found dead in the forest near Sarahkar village of the district last evening. The cub had eaten some animals infected with some disease, according to Dr R.P. Kalia, veterinary surgeon, Hamirpur.

The cub was brought to Hamirpur by employees of the Department of Forests. It was unwell and whining died later.

Dr Kalia performed the postmortem and later its body was consigned to flames by the Forest Department employees. He told reporters at the hospital that the cub was suffering from acute gastroenteritis and that led to its death.

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WLL connections for Chamba hamlets
Our Correspondent

Chamba, September 20
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to give WLL (Wireless in Local Loop connections at all villages and hamlets on the alpine borderland of Chamba district by installing a communication tower at Deoga in the Salooni border sector by the end this financial year.

An official spokesman of the BSNL said here today that the proposal to release these 500 connections was expected to be cleared soon. He said the hamlets on the rugged terrains were separated by more than 3 km each and so could not be connected by underground or overhead telephone cables.

Similar tower for releasing WLL connections would also be installed at Mangla in the suburbs of Chamba. 

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