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Cong leaders flay Mankotia’s rebellious act
HP allows filling of 100 posts of JE
Kaul is HPSC Chairman
Regional languages to be taught in schools: CM
Rumours of bids to kidnap children create panic
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Heritage village
Naggar to get facelift
BJP shortlists three for Guler seat
MPs invite Dalai Lama to Delhi
College of Basic Sciences to be upgraded
Two bodies of foreign trekkers identified
Bail to rape accused cancelled
Thief escapes from
police custody
Police seizes 21 kg of charas; arrests two
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Cong leaders flay Mankotia’s rebellious act
Shimla, September 14 Major Mankotia two days ago while addressing a rally at Shahpur in his home constituency on Sunday, had accused Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, of discriminating against the Kangra region and alleged favouritism in recruitment to government jobs. The former Army officer had been in a belligerent mood ever since he had been dropped from the ministry under the downsizing exercise two months ago. He had given enough indications to the party leadership of his intentions by asking embarrassing questions regarding the downsizing exercise. He wanted to know from the party high command the criteria for dropping the ministers. The announcement of Mr Virbhadra Singh that the exercise was an unpleasant task forced by the new law and that it was no reflection on the performance of the dropped ministers. He even said that those dropped would be suitably rehabilitated as chairpersons in various boards and corporations with the Cabinet rank. All this failed to assuage the hurt feelings of Major Mankotia and even the assertions of the Chief Minister that any regional imbalances in the ministry would be removed at appropriate time failed to impress him. Obviously, he had not reconciled to his removal from the Cabinet and decided to come out openly against the government, particularly the Chief Minister. His public criticism of the government evoked sharp reaction from senior leaders of Kangra district, Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, Mr Chander Kumar, MP, Mr B.B. Butail, Mr Surinder Kaku, and Mr Sujan Singh Pathania, all MLAs. Terming the allegations made by Major Mankotia at the rally as an anti-party activity, they said the former Army officer was back to his old ways. He was all praise for Mr Virbhadra Singh as long as he was a minister but started making all sorts of charges as soon as he was dropped, the added. The development came at a time when byelection to the Guler Assembly constituency was round the corner. Although the ruling party invariably won byelections in the state, the signs of revolt by a senior leader did not augur well for the party. |
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HP allows filling of 100 posts of JE
Shimla, September 14 The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, also gave approval for the adoption of the double entry system of accounting by the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, and 20 municipal councils in the state in the first instance. It will be extended to other municipal committees later. At present all the urban local bodies (ULBs) are maintaining accounts on cost basis, wherein revenue is recognised on actual receipt and expenditure is booked on actual payment, as such the balance sheet is not prepared. A major disadvantage of this “single entry system of accounting” is that arithmetical accuracy of accounts could not be tested. The single entry system of accounting does not present the true and fair picture of the finances of municipality. A “task force” set up by the centre had recommended switching over to the new system, “double entry system”, which underlining the need to devise an improved system of accounting to have an effective management information system for the urban local bodies. The task force also suggested a comprehensive list of budget formats to ensure uniformity in the maintenance of accounts by urban local bodies throughout the country. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to declare the foodgrains received under the “Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yozna (SGRY)” as a “relief programme” for the purpose of exemption from payment of the sales tax on the foodgrains received under the scheme. |
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Kaul is HPSC Chairman
Shimla, September 14 He replaces Mr Dev Raj Sharma, who completed his term on September 11. A 1968-batch officer, Mr Kaul had taken premature retirement as Chief Secretary. Mr Kaul set an example by seeking premature retirement the very same day he was removed from the top post. His request was accepted subsequently. Mr V.K. Malik, a member of the commission, was the front-runner for the post, but Mr Kaul emerged as the dark horse. He got the coveted post without lobbying. It is learnt that the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, had some reservation over elevation of a member from within the commission in view of the unsavoury controversy triggered off due to alleged irregularities in the selection of assistant engineers. |
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Regional languages to be taught in schools: CM
Shimla, September 14 Speaking at the state-level function organised here on the occasion of the Hindi Divas, he said the education department would soon carry out identification of schools where students, in large numbers were keen to learn Gurumukhi. “To facilitate the learning of other regional languages like Urdu, we will engage specialists in these languages, so that students can opt for the language,” he said. The Chief Minister said creating a facility where students got the opportunity to learn different languages, would foster universal brotherhood and the spirit of national integration. “We must adopt different modes of propagation of Pahari dialect as well so that this can form the base for creation of a separate language for the state of Himachal Pradesh,” he stressed. “There is a need to bring out adequate literature in Pahari through exhaustive research work. Also bringing out a dictionary in Pahari would help in its learning and popularity,” he suggested. He said Hindi was our national language and there was a need to promote it at the official level. However, there was need to use simple and understandable Hindi which was not beyond the common man, he added. He said the Department of Language, Art and Culture should bring out simple English to Hindi dictionaries, which should be provided to every department. Expressing concern over declining popularity of Hindi as a language, he said in order to promote the language, the younger generation should be encouraged to use it in their educational and professional pursuits. Mr Virbhadra Singh, honoured a large number of officials for their contribution towards promotion of Hindi language. |
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Rumours of bids to kidnap children create panic
Dharamsala, September 14 Panic gripped Dharamsala today following an alarm raised by two school-going children that some persons had tried to abduct them while they were on their way to school. The incident took place in Bhaner village, near here. The incident comes close on the heels of a futile abduction bid of two children last week in Baijnath. The district police made elaborate bandobast to track down persons who made the alleged kidnapping attempt. The in charge of the police post in Nagrota Bangwan said the version given out by the two children, was not convincing enough and they doubted whether any abduction was actually attempted. “There are no eye-witnesses of the incident and the two students are repeatedly changing their accounts of the incidents, said the police official. The district police chief S.Zahur Haider Zaidi, in a statement, sought to re-assure the parents that the situation was not alarming. “During this year, there were seven complaints of child lifting and of these five were recovered,” he said. “Two children did not reach their homes in Nagrota Bangwan on July 27, and their parents feared that they had been kidnapped. In another incident, a student of Sacred Heart went missing after he boarded a wrong bus but was found in Shahpur,” he said. He said some children were reportedly cooking up stories for fear of going to their schools. He asked parents not to get carried away by rumours and report such matter to their nearest police station. Earlier this week, the district police had nabbed a gang of child-lifters and a case has been registered against them in Baijnath. According to the police, the gang had tried to abduct two children, Ajay (9) and Vijay (10), from Mukan Langhu but had to flee when the children raised an alarm.” |
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Heritage village
Naggar to get facelift
Shimla, September 14 The Ministry of Tourism will give the state government Rs 2 crore for the restoration of the Naggar Castle, which is being run as a hotel by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HPTDC), about 20 km from Manali. The walls of the castle, constructed by Raja Sidh Singh in the 16th century, are tilting and need major repair and restoration work. The castle also houses an old temple with exquisite woodwork. Naggar, which has earned the distinction of being the third heritage village in Himachal after Pragpur in Kangra and Kalpa in Kinnaur district, will be developed strictly on the lines of the master plan, which is being prepared by the state Tourism Department to retain its heritage character. The cobbled streets in the village will be repaired and the ancient character of the buildings and temples in the village will be retained. Since a large number of tourists visit Naggar, parking slots will be created and toilet facilities provided with the help of agencies like Sulabh International, informed officials. "The District Tourism Officer (DTO), is in the process of preparing the master plan, along which the village will be developed and this will be sent to the centre, on the basis of which the monetary allocation will be made," informed Tourism officials. They said a committee had been formed under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, to ensure the involvement of the local panchayat and other villagers so that they are part and parcel of every project and planning for Naggar. Naggar village shot into prominence after renowned Russian painter, Nicholas Roerich, made it his home and his most famous paintings were made during his stay here. |
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BJP shortlists three for Guler seat
Hamirpur, September 14 The panel was decided after a two-hour meeting held here this afternoon, with Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, MP, in the chair. Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, was present at the meeting. However, former Union Minister Shanta Kumar was
conspicuous by his absence. Mr Kripal Pramar, MP, and Mr Romesh Dhawala, MLA, were two special invitees to the meeting. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Bhardwaj refused to name the panel. He said he was leaving for New Delhi tonight to take part in a meeting of the central election committee of the party, slated for September 16. He said the party nominee would be declared after that meeting by the party high command. To a question, he said though Mr Shanta Kumar was not present at the meeting, his consent had been taken. Mr Bhardwaj said the party would contest the Guler election on the plank of “misrule” of the UPA and Congress governments at the Centre and in the state. Besides, the issue of favouritism in recruitments would be another poll issue. The BJP chief said the party would also highlight the issue of discrimination with Kangra district by the Congress government since it came to power in 2003. Though the party refused to name the panel, there are reports that the names of Mr Harbans Rana, a former MLA, his daughter and Mr Bheekam Ram Padgotra, an advocate, are in the panel. Mr Bheekam Ram had contested the last elections as a party rebel. |
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MPs invite Dalai Lama to Delhi
Dharamsala, September 14 “We got clarifications on various aspects of the Tibet issue, for instance the Dalai Lama briefed us about his middle-path approach. We support his demand for autonomy so that Tibetans are able to promote and preserve their cultural heritage,” said Mr Vashist Narayan Singh, convener of the delegation. The delegation held meetings with various Tibetan support groups, officials of the Tibetan Administration and NGOs operating in McLeodganj. Meanwhile, an Italian parliamentary delegation comprising members of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, established in May, 2002, landed here today. The delegation led by Mr Gianni Vernetti, president of the group, will be here for three days. |
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College of Basic Sciences to be upgraded
Palampur, September 14 For this, the complete re-structuring of the college, which is presently offering only the BSc course, has been planned. In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Jagmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor, told The Tribune that the Ministry of Agriculture had sought a detailed proposal in this regard from the university. “As per the plan, two postgraduate programmes in environmental science and biology will be started from the coming session.,” he said. The whole idea, he said was to re-structure the department offering the regular BSc course to one specialising in the postgraduate programmes. “Being part of the university, the College of Basic Sciences is supposed to have a postgraduate character. The undergraduate BSc course will gradually be scrapped.,” he said. Agricultural Minister Raj Krishan Gaur has asked the university authorities to furnish details of the total budget required for restructuring, including a one-time grant and recurring aids, construction of a building, employment of additional faculty and infrastructure required for running these courses. “The details are being worked out. Besides re-deploying teachers from other related departments, the university is also planning to train the existing staff in the college by organising refresher and orientation courses so that they can be involved in teaching the new courses,” he said. To make the college self-sufficient, it has also been decided that some of the seats in the college will be paid ones. Dean Basic Sciences Dr S.K. Sharma said the re-structuring would include every aspect of the college, which would have the distinction of running a set of courses not available in Himachal. |
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Two bodies of foreign trekkers identified
Mandi, September 14 After recovering more bodies today, a 22-member team headed back for Keylong. The bodies have been kept back in the ice and will be air-lifted by a special Air Force chopper, most likely tomorrow, say officials. The officials said the state government had sent an SOS to the Central Government to make arrangements for a special high-altitude mountain chopper to air lift the bodies to Keylong for identification tomorrow. Talking to The Tribune on the phone from Keylong, the Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul and Spiti Mr B.R. Verma, said three bodies had been retrieved yesterday, of which two had been traced to Sweden and America. The sources said the Swedish woman had been identified as Lytia and the American as Zen after their names were sent for confirmation to the Swedish and American embassies, which confirmed that they were missing since 1982. “Though more bodies were recovered today, the communication link with the 22-member team got snapped and we have no exact information as to how many bodies were retrieved,” said Mr Verma. |
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Bail to rape accused cancelled
Shimla, September 14 Cancelling the bail, Mr Justice Verma observed that the accused had deliberately and intentionally suppressed and concealed the material facts relevant for consideration for his bail application to get a favourable order from the court. According to the prosecution an FIR was lodged against the accused on February 19, 2004, under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 3 of the SC/ST Atrocity Act. After coming to know about the FIR the accused filed for anticipatory bail which was rejected. Thereafter, the accused approached the High Court which was also rejected and the High Court directed the accused to surrender before the trial court. After this order the accused again filed an application for bail before the Additional Sessions Judge Kangra, which was allowed and the bail was granted. This order was challenged by the state before the High Court and the court cancelled the bail granted to him. |
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Thief escapes from
police custody
Nurpur, September14 According to the police information, the Police Department has suspended Havaldar Satpal and Constable Satnam Singh in this connection. The accused was being taken for the recovery of tools used by the gang in committing thefts in a forest near Bhagnar village. Pritam reportedly misled the police personnel accompanying him and took them to a deserted place. He jumped into thick bushes and escaped. Another case under Section 224 of the IPC has been registered against him. |
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Police seizes 21 kg of charas; arrests two
Kulu, September 14 District police chief Anand Pratap Singh said here that a police party checked two persons who were coming towards Manikaran on foot. On search the contraband was seized from their bags. A case under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered against them. According to a Solan report, two Nepali citizens possessing 1.5 kg of charas were arrested yesterday from Bhojnagar under Dharampur police station. A Maruti van has been impounded in this connection.
— UNI |
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