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CM rejects demand for CBI Pandemonium in House Transfers politically motivated: teachers |
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CMO clarifies on
hospital services Cheer pheasant aviary
near Chail planned Ex-servicemen
stage protest Raid yields drugs,
one arrested
Building gutted
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CM rejects demand for CBI probe into tape scam Shimla, December 22 He said the retrieved data contained as many as 2,415 recommendations, including 1,739 pertained to the SSSSB, 133 to Himachal Pradesh University, 192 to state cooperative bank, 14 to state public service commission, 43 to Jogindra Bank, 158 to Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, 18 to the Health Department and 14 to Municipal Corporation Shimla. There were also recommendations for not selecting candidates who professed a different political ideology. They included Mr Rajesh Yadav, Ms Meenakshi, Ms Charu Verma, Ms Reva Sud and Mr Bhim Singh who appeared for posts of readers and lecturers in the English and history departments. Those favoured included a close relative of Mr Dhumal who was appointed Security Officer. Not only that, his son and daughter were also given jobs in the university. Outsiders were favoured in appointment as evident from the selection of doctors. As many as 225 doctors from outside the state were given appointment letters, out of which 186 joined. He said the government had much more evidence to demolish the BJP and he was not surprised that they were running away from discussion. Mr P.K. Dhumal came under heavy fire from the treasury benches for patronising corruption and nepotism in recruitments during the five-hour discussion on the functioning of the controversial Subordinate Services Selection Board in the Vidhan Sabha today. The attack was more focussed on Mr Dhumal and the speakers did not confine their speeches to the board but dwelt in detail on recruitments made in the Himachal Pradesh University, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank and other departments. Their common refrain was that nothing worked except “dhan and Dhumal” when it came to select candidates for government jobs right from class IV posts to lecturers in the university. The selection process in the board was virtually hijacked by the Chief Minister’s office where the list of favoured candidates was fed in computers along with the priority given by Mr Dhumal. Some speakers demanded that Mr Dhumal, who was equally responsible for the irregularities in recruitments, should be made a co-accused in cases against Mr Katwal. Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Industries Minister, said the extent to which favouritism and nepotism prevailed in the board could be judged from the fact that as many 113 clerks were recruited from Samirpur, the native village of Mr Dhumal and surrounding areas. Not only that as many as 58 relatives of Mr Dhumal were given government jobs. Mr Chander Kumar, Forest Minister, said the data retrieved from the hard disk of computers of Mr Dhumal’s office clearly revealed the extent to which the former Chief Minister was involved in appointments. As many as 1,759 candidates were recommended only to the board and there were hundreds others pertaining to appointments made in other departments. Mr Kaul Singh said Mr Katwal was functioning as an agent of the BJP and he pressurised Congress legislators to revolt against Mr Virbhadra Singh, the then Leader of Opposition. He said there was nothing objectionable in the audio cassette as the Congress was in opposition and in no position to pressurise Mr Katwal. The board had become a den of corruption as no rules were framed to regulate its functioning. The board had been made a convenient instrument for giving appointments to the favoured one and for this reason the Dhumal government even entrusted the recruitment of Vidya Upasaks to it. |
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Govt
to expose Dhumal-Katwal nexus Jalandhar, December 22 Talking to reporters here yesterday Chief Parliamentary Secretary
Mukesh Agnihotri, alleged that Mr Katwal has acted as an agent of
former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and 3000 candidates were selected on the
behest of Mr Dhumal in violation of norms.
“During investigation, a CD, having details about irregularities
committed by the official in the selection of the candidates, was
recovered, which later was decoded by forensic experts at Hyderabad
recently. We will present facts on the recruitment scam on the floor
of the House in the current session,” he said.
Mr Agnihotri, who was accompanied by state Rural Development and
Panchayat Minister Sat Mahajan said the more challans would be soon
filed in court against Katwal as the investigating agencies had got
more evidence against him.
On the opposition demand for a CBI probe into the recruitment scam,
Mr Agnihotri said that the government was satisfied with the ongoing
investigation and there was no need for a CBI probe. |
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Pandemonium in House Shimla, December 22 All members of the BJP along with the lone Him Lok Tantrik Morcha member, Mr Mohinder Singh, were on their legs as soon as the House assembled for the day. They urged the Speaker, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, to take up their adjournment motion, and started raising slogans. The Speaker, however, proceeded with question hour. The protesting members kept raising slogans for some time and later trooped into the well of the house. They finally left the House after which order was restored. The Speaker informed the House after question hour that he had received notice of adjournment motion under Rule 67 on the second Katwal tape and he had converted it into a discussion under Rule 130. It had been clubbed with the discussion already fixed on the issue. Congress members Harsh Wardhan, Anita Verma and Thakur Singh and an Independent, Mr Kuldeep Pathania, also gave notice for a calling attention motion on the issue which was clubbed with the discussion fixed for today after converting it into a discussion under Rule 130. He said he had also received notice for an adjournment motion on the selection of JBT trainees by the state board of school education from Mr Damodar Dass, Mr Khimi Ram, Mr Satpal and Mr Vikram Singh. Besides, notice of adjournment motion for discussion on alleged irregularities in the award of works by the PWD in Rampur division was given by Mr Mohinder Singh and Dr Rajiv Bindal. Mr Kaul Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, said the BJP members did not have the courage to discuss the issue in the House and their conduct today had proved that they were desperate to avoid any debate. Later talking to mediapersons Mr I.D. Dhiman said their democratic rights were being curtailed. The BJP would take the issue to the people and launch a mass contact programme. |
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Transfers politically motivated: teachers Mandi, December 22 The Association has threatened to boycott Students Central Association (SCA) elections. It has urged the government to concede its demands. Mr C.L. Sankhyan, a spokesman for the teachers lamented that with 500 posts of college teacher vacant higher education in the state was in a ‘mess’. He said, instead of filling posts the government was opening new colleges, “We are not against new colleges, but we want that before opening the new colleges, existing colleges should be set in order and made functional. A teacher in some cases has to attend to over 300 students which is against directions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which has specified 80-student class”, he asserted. Opposing appointments on contract Mr Sankhyan said it was excuse that it was being done due to financial reasons. In fact, teachers on contract were getting the scales of regular teachers. He alleged that despite a stay order by a court, backdoor appointments were being made. The Association resolved to oppose new
recruitment and promotion rules and alleged that government was taking over private colleges for extraneous considerations in violation of UGC rules and inducting even “incompetent” persons into government service. Earlier elections to Association were held under the chairmanship of outgoing president P.S. Thakur and the following were elected officer-bearers. President Mr C.L. Sankhyan, vice presidents Mr K.C. Kanwar, and Mr J.L. Chaudhary; general secretary Dr R.K. Kayastha; joint secretary Mr Vijay Verma; and cashier Dr Rajesh Chauhan and Dr N.D. Sharma. |
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CMO clarifies on
hospital services Mandi, December 22 Responding to a news report published in The Tribune, he said efforts were being made to remove the shortcomings. He claimed that from January 1 to December 22, 1,332 general operations had been performed, of which 838 were major. In the obstetrics and gynaecology department, 1,747 operations were conducted, besides 1,055 orthopaedic operations 146 ENT and 606 eye operations were carried out. Mr Dogra admitted that only 30 doctors, including 18 specialists, were available in the hospital, as against the sanctioned strength of 48. |
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Cheer pheasant aviary
near Chail planned Solan, December 22 Selecting a site off the entrance road to the Chail Palace Hotel John Corden observed that it provided easy access and the open hillside covered with grass was most suited for the purpose. Asserting that seven to 10 pairs of cheer pheasants would be required as founder stock he observed that since all pairs might not breed, more pairs would be needed for such eventuality. The fact that cheer pheasants are peculiar to site-specific breeding a long-term breeding proposal in a new site is a major challenge opined officials in the Forest Department. It therefore has been recommended to set up 10 aviaries on the sunniest part of the site with additional accommodation for sick birds and quarantining. The aviaries will be set up away from the habitat. The measure is also crucial to ensure that a bird inflicted with disease if let out in the open does not pass on the disease to the wild population. Stress has been laid on the provision of dry shelters at the aviaries it has been also suggested to ensure adequate sun exposure so vital for young birds. Special stress has been laid to ensure the protection of aviaries in monsoon as these have proved to be a death trap for young cheers. It was observed that since the internal slopes and terracing of the aviaries was unmanageable for young chicks, they ended up being brooded in the open at the bottom of the aviaries. This proved fatal during the monsoon and hence proper designing of aviaries was desired. John Corden stressed on the need for parent-rearing of the cheer pheasants and remarked, that could stand a real chance of survival only if they are reintroduced into the wild. Being monogamous pheasant species both parents play integral part in raising their large brood of young. After hatching the young cheers live with their parents throughout the summer, autumn and winter. Protection and survival skills learned during this period ensure their survival for the next breeding season and they usually leave the family group at the end of winter. Since cheer pheasants have broods of nine they become grown in four months. Therefore that for the entire winter and autumn their aviary should be so designed it is big enough to contain about 11 birds. They survive on root, tubers and devour grass and shrubs at a great rate so it has been recommended to provide adequate foliage in the aviaries. Since living on a mud patch will teach no survival skill it has been advised to water aviary plants regularly and supplement these with other green food. The Forest officials opined that opinion of other experts was being sought to initiate the project. |
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Ex-servicemen
stage protest Hamirpur, December 22 They also handed over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for sending it to the Union Government for action. Col Panjab Singh, the president of the Hamirpur District Ex-Servicemen League, demanded the grant of one rank-one pension scheme, removal of 33 years condition to earn full pension, grant of full family pension, restoring the status of the defence personnel and provision of alternative jobs to them. |
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Raid yields drugs,
one arrested Nahan, December 22 According to the district police chief, the Paonta police had information that Sadik Ali was involved
in the business of intoxicants and other such items. The police first procured a search warrant and afterwards raided his house and shop, led by the Additional SHO, Paonta, Mr Suchanand, in the wee hours. The police seized 1,297 intoxicating tablets of different brands, 1,080 gm of poppy husk and 20 gm of charas from his house and shop. Mr Sharma said Sadik Ali had been arrested and cases under Section 15.20 of the NDPS Act and Section 27.28 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act had been registered. |
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Monkeys move to town Kumarhatti, December 22 The problem became grave after the residential schools in nearby Dagshai closed for the winter vacations. Hundreds of monkeys which used to live in and around these schools now have moved to the town in search of food. The number of monkeys has almost doubled and the town these days appears to be under their siege. Hordes of monkeys are seen moving about everywhere. “The residents fear venturing out of houses after evening. We are under constant fear of monkeys in winter every year,” said Mr Jaipal, a shopkeeper here. |
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Building gutted Chamba, December 22 An official spokesman said today that Revenue Department officials had reached the site of fire incident to carry out the relief and rescue operations and to assess the loss caused due to the fire. The affected family has been given an immediate relief of Rs 5,000 as per the relief manual. |
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Mr Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, today outrightly rejected the demand for a CBI probe into the Katwal tapes and the recruitment scam in the State Subordinate Services Selection Board
(SSSSB) and said it was a political conspiracy to tarnish his clean image.
