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Bridge over Chaki river inaugurated
CM invites striking students for talks
Suliali to have 10-bed ayurvedic hospital
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Congress govt anti-people, says Dhumal
Illicit breweries doing brisk business
Brigadier’s widow hands over Military Cross
Driven by tantrik powers, driver beats up wife
Baddi lacks civic amenities
Railways launches eviction proceedings
Forest Dept’s eviction drive begins today
Notices to IPH Dept, contractors
Human rights panel launches website
Kasauli centre airs DD News
Gen Thakur does Kulu proud
10-day NSS camp concludes
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Bridge over Chaki river inaugurated
Lahroon (Punjab/Himachal border), January 6 The bridge has connected the areas on both sides of the river, which were just 100 metres apart but could be reached by travelling 80 km by road. More than hundred of people of Lahroon village alone had lost their lives while trying to cross the Chaki river to meet their relatives. The villagers had been asking the Punjab Government for a bridge since long, but ultimately the Himachal government provided them the relief. The 97 metre single-span bridge has no pillars and is supported by a single arc. Sources disclosed that the design of the bridge was made by a retired Chief Engineer of Himachal Pradesh, Mr U.N. Sharma, who belongs to the area. The estimate cost of the NABARD-aided bridge was Rs 2 crore, but it was completed with Rs 1.86 crore. The bridge was completed in two years. With the construction of the bridge the distance between the Dhar bloc of Punjab and Nurpur subdivision of Himachal Pradesh has been reduced by more than 50 km. It has also opened a short-cut route from Dharmsala to Dalhouise. Now the tourists going from Dharmsala to Dalhouise or vice versa can go direct from Nurpur to Donera and then Dalhouise. Mr Virbhadra Singh, while speaking on the occasion, said the bridge would lead to the economic development of the otherwise backward area. While responding to queries from mediapersons, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that a two-lane road to the Pathankot airport had been sanctioned by the Himachal Pradesh Government as per an MoU. The work of the road would start soon. The people of the area demanded that the 9 km road from the bridge to the main Dalhouise road should be widened in the Punjab side. Mr Bajwa assured to do so at the earliest. They also demanded a bus route through the area. Mr Virbhadra Singh assured to do so. The people of the area organised a “dham” (community kitchen) for the visiting leaders and other people. |
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Rs 2-crore HP aid for tsunami victims
Dharamsala, January 6 He said people of Himachal stood by those who lost their near and dear ones. He said besides the state Cabinet donating its one month’s salary, government employees had also contributed one day’s salary towards the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The Chief Minister appealed to the people of the state to donate liberally towards the relief fund. He said besides NGOs, people from all walks of life were already coming forward to contribute to the noble cause. |
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CM invites striking students for talks
Mandi, January 6 The students alleged that though no deemed university can have its centres outside its campus under the UGC rules, these universities are running the centres in the state and minting money from over 3,500 innocent students who are enrolled in these teaching shops. The modus operandi of these teaching shops is simple. They show the UGC letter mentioning the name of the deemed university as a proof of recognition and lure students. The students are on hunger strike for the past 29 days. The institutes offer two-year diplomas in Art and Crafts, Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Nursing and Paramedical. The students alleged that when they applied for jobs these diplomas were not recognised by the state government. The striking students said these institutes charge on an average Rs 44,000 to Rs 60,000 for the two-year diploma course. The co-convener of the striking Art and Craft Students, Mr Chandra Mani, said the students were beaten up and ten of them were arrested when they sat on dharna in front of Chief Minister’s office in Shimla three days ago. He added that the Chief Minister had invited them for talks, but he did not meet them. Mr Kushal Bhardwaj, president, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), which is spearheading the agitation said these teaching shops should be checked as they were playing with the future of innocent students and their parents. Expressing their helplessness over the issue, the Additional Commissioner, Mandi, Mr R.S. Gupta, and the ADM, Mandi, Dr Prem Bhardwaj, who held talks with the striking students today, said the district administration could do a little to solve the matter as the private institutes show their documents as the proof to run these institutes. The Director, Technical Education, Himachal Pradesh, Sundernagar, Mr R.D. Punwar, said these institutes were affiliated to the outside ‘deemed university’ or institution and not to the directorate so there was little that the directorate could do to check them. Pleading the case of the teaching shops, president, Niji Shikshan Sansthan Sangathan, Mandi, Mr Naresh Kumar Chouhan, said the private institutes were being run as per the state government’s plan to provide employment to locals. He alleged that these institutes were being run as per the norms laid down by the government and passed the buck on the government for not recognising the diplomas they award. |
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Suliali to have 10-bed ayurvedic hospital
Nurpur, January 6 He alleged that his government had inherited a massive debt of Rs 15,000 crore from the previous Prem Kumar Dhumal government when it had come to power in March, 2003. Accusing the Dhumal government for misusing the loan in the luxuries and spending in wasteful expenditures, he claimed that it was only the Congress governments which had launched a drive to develop the state. Coming down heavily on BJP leaders for raising the issues of regional imbalance and discrimination in the state, the Chief Minister said they always launched such baseless propaganda out of frustration. He claimed that the words like step-motherly treatment or regional discrimination were not in his government’s dictionary. Turning down the offer of the former Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, for accepting Virbhadra’s challenge for an open debate with him on the issue of development, Mr Singh said the right place for this purpose was an Assembly session where Mr Dhumal and his party Legislators had escaped from debates on important issues and resorted to boycotts on flimsy grounds. He claimed that the state government was functioning in a transparent manner. The Chief Minister announced the sanctioning of 10-beded ayurveda hospital at Suliali. He also inaugurated newly built inter-state Chakki Bridge linking Punjab with Himachal Pradesh, three km from Suliali. The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Mr Pratap Singh Bajwa, Punjab PWD Minister and Mr Ashok Sharma, MLA from Pathankot. The bridge has been built at a cost of Rs 186 lakh. Mr Bajwa assured the Himachal Pradesh Government that he would expedite the proceedings of land acquisition for the proposed reconstruction over 130-year-old Chakki bridge. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Rs 69.88 crore drinking water supply, Hatli-Thed Danni, scheme. The public meeting was also addressed by the local MLA and Revenue Minister Mr Sat Mahajan, the MP of Kangra, Mr Chander Kumar. |
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Congress govt anti-people, says Dhumal
Hamirpur, January 6 He alleged that all developmental activities in the state had come to a standstill since the Congress government came into power in the state. Mr Dhumal was addressing party gatherings during his three-day tour of Bamsan Assembly constituency that ended last evening. During the tour, he addressed thirteen meetings at Dari, Chamboh, Loharri, Kehrwin, Lag Devi, Chhatrial, Kakryar, Charian-di-dhar, Bir-Bagehra and Dharog. He lambasted the Congress government for working on the regional lines and denying seeds of fruit to the people of majority hill areas
of the state. He dubbed the present Congress government in the state as anti-people. He also came down heavily on the state government for signing an MoU with the Central Government on fiscal reforms. He said this MoU would prove suicidal for the state in the coming years. He said the decision of the state government to abolish 300 posts of clerk was an indication to this. The BJP leader told the party workers not to sit silent and instead fan out in villages to expose the real face of the Congress government and its leaders to the masses. He alleged that the Congress leaders in the state were all set to amass huge wealth through unfair means and the corruption level in the state had reached its peak. Prof. Dhumal assured all those present in the meetings that the party would work for their well being and even resort to agitations on all people- oriented issues. While talking to this correspondent here today before rushing to Sundernagar to take part in a function of the HP Cricket Association, Mr Dhumal said a meeting of the party MLAs would be held at Jaisinghpur in Kangra district on January 7 and they would finalise their future strategy in the meeting. He said the next meeting of the party MLAs would be held in the interiors of Shimla district. |
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Illicit breweries doing brisk business
MANDI: The Tungal area in the Mandi Sadar is emerging as the crime capital in the district under the nose of the police as the illicit breweries run by local lahan mafia are doing brisk business. As a result, the lahan, a local brew, is not only becoming a social menace, but it has also become a health hazard for the youth. Even the incidents of dometsic voilence is on the rise “We cannot open shops till late in the evening.Drunkards come here threatening us, shout at passersby that sometimes result in bloody fights”, said a local shopkeeper in the town. “We had demanded a police post here about 20 years ago, but nobody paid any attention as the lahan lobby is very strong and enjoys political protection”, added Mr Jankidas Dogra, a former chairman, Panchayat, Riwalsar and a resident of Dhanyara village , in the Tungal area. Though the Tungal area covers over 14 panchayats, but the area has no police post as Mandi politicians have never bothered to check the menace of lahan in the valley as the police post might spoil their votebank, said the residents. What worries the villagers is the fact that the youth, including students from the five senior secondary schools in the Tungal area, have become the soft target of the drug and lahan mafias here as more and more youth are taking to drugs, alcohol and lahan. “Every third householder produces lahan fermented from a curious mix of gur, kikkar or ber fibers, which are procured from outside”, the villagers said. “The first they used to ferment in bhattis but they have switched over to gas stoves as the smoke-producing bhattis were easy to spot”. The lahan production is understandable as the shopkeepers sell gur, kikar or ber fiber, after these are procured from outside, in tons to the lahan makers at the shops in Kotli, informed local shopkeepers. Voicing concern over the rise in crime incidents, including drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence and murder, the villagers said Kotli being a sub-tehsil had no police post that had been encouraging criminals to run their writs in the entire valley. The police sources disclosed that the lahan and drug smugglers got the free run as there was no barrier to check them while they sold illicit liquor in the markets in Sarkaghat, Jogindernagar, and other areas in the surroundings. The Additional Superintendent of Police, Mandi district, Mr Sunil Kumar, said the proposal to open the police post at Kotli had been sent for approval to the government. “The police is not getting cooperation from the public to end the menace of lahan. We have registered cases in the area, but initiative must come from the public”, he added. The most affected panchayats where lahan and drug consumption shot up since 1980, include Dhunyara, Khalanu, Lagdhar, Surari, Bhaigaon, Kotli, Sia, Nichla Lot, Sadyana, Bir Baria Ghumanu and Tarnoh, the villagers informed. What is more even incidents of domestic violence have been on the rise in the Tungal area, but these are hushed up with the mutual consent of the villagers, revealed the sources, pointing out the recent double murder in which a local college student shot dead his uncle and aunt at Nichli Lot village in the Tungal valley, about 16 km from here. The incidents of wife beating are hushed up more often than not within the families or at the village level as women remain silent, fearing social stigma, the villagers disclosed. The Station House Officer, Mandi Sadar, Mr N.K Sharma, said the police faced problems as they did not have the police post at Kotli. “Morover, whenever we raid the lahan breweries the lahan makers get the prior information about the raids. We have ceased over 1708 kg of lahan in the district in 2004 most of which come from the Tungal area”. |
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Brigadier’s widow hands over Military Cross
Shimla, January 6 Mrs Kaushalya Dutt fulfilled the desire of her husband by handing over the Military Cross at a touching presentation ceremony. It was under the leadership of Brig Dutt, that 6 Rajputana Rifles was airlifted from Delhi to the Srinagar airfield and marched into Baramula-Uri to capture Darapari Hill in a battle on July 17, 1948. The battle honour of Darapari Hill was conferred upon this battalion during 1947-48 operations against the Pakistani-sponsored invasion of Kashmir. The battalion had earned many laurels during the 1947-48 operations in Kashmir under the leadership of Brig Dutt. Brig Dutt, who passed away recently, was born in Shillong and was commissioned in January 1942 in 1 Punjab Regiment. It was under his leadership that the battalion and the regiment earned its first Param Vir Chakra and a Maha Vir Chakra in the 1947-48 campaign. Mrs Kaushalya Devi also presented a silver trophy in memory of her husband to the battalion. A set of three tennis racquets of Brig Dutt were also handed over by his wife. The presentation ceremony was presided over by Brig L.S. Thakur, Commander 95 Infantry Brigade. |
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Driven by tantrik powers, driver beats up wife
Mandi, January 6 Narrating her tale of woe, Gomti Devi, his wife, said she escaped from his torture last night as she managed to run away from the house. “My husband beat me up with a stone slab used for grinding purpose on the head, on the back and face. He has married another woman and has been torturing me over the months”, she alleged, pointing out her injuries to the woman constable at the women’s cell. Gomti sustained head injuries and there was a blood clot in her eyes. Gomti has no male member from her parent’s side as her father had died a few years ago. “We are four sisters and hail from a poor family,” said Gomti’s younger sister Puja Sharma, who studies in plus two at her native school. “As my sister is married to a low caste, the villagers have threatened my mother that we should either boycott her or they would boycott our family”, she rued. Gomti met the ASP, Mr Sunil Kumar, after her sisters registered a complaint with the women’s cell. Hima Ram is usually at his house rather than at the wheel of a bus as he “enjoys the protection” of the HRTC management for his magic cure. He had managed a representation from the panchyat pardhan, signed by nine persons, to the Regional Manager, HRTC, Sundernagar, stating that he possessed tantrik powers and served patients from all over the region. For this, the bus which he drives should be allowed to be based at Leda for night stay to serve the public, the letter, which is in possession of The Tribune, said. The Regional Manager, Mr Sandip Diwan, said they had heard that Hima Ram was a tantrik, but that was besides his job. “We can do little to prevent him from doing his side activity”, he said. |
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Baddi lacks civic amenities Baddi, January 5 A proposal for hazardous waste management project was already under consideration. The Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA) has taken up the responsibility of establishing and maintaining this project. The steps were being taken in this direction as the BBNIA has already signed an MoU for preparing the project report and getting grant from the Union Government. The area also lacks a common effluent treatment plant the industries. A centre with common facilities consisted of a place for exhibition and a country club were also required. The BBNIA has also identified this project for implementation under the Union Government scheme and the proposal for this has also been forwarded to the Industries Department for allotting a site at Baddi for its development. Lack of good health facilities in the belt is an another big problem that needs immediate improvement. The Primary Health Centre at Nalagarh needs upgradation. Ironically, even after such a high industrial population in this belt, there was no local ESI hospital here. As per BBNIA suggestion, the ESI hospital at Parwanoo should be taken over by state and the ESI authorities be asked to establish a state-of-the-art ESI hospital at
Baddi.
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Railways launches eviction proceedings
Solan, January 6 The land, adjoining the local railway station, had been in illegal occupation of Himachal Furniture Industries since May, 1975. The eviction proceedings were being carried out on the direction of an August, 2003, order of the Estate Officer of the Northern Railways. The team, led by company commander of the RPF Prem Lal Bharti and assisted by sleuths of the Railway Police Force (RPF), initiated the process of erecting a barbed wire in the area after vacating it. Facing stiff opposition from furniture owner whose material was lying on the land, the railway officials ensured that there were ample force of the railway police to deal with any eventuality. A dispute, however, arose regarding the demarcation of the area under illegal occupation after the furniture had owner insisted that the railway officials were measuring the area from the adjoining committee area. The railway officials, however, held that they had initiated work as per railway plan number 30 which had served as a crucial evidence in the court testifying the land as the railway property. Earlier, the furniture industry had moved the apex court to obtain a stay for vacation of this 450 sq. mt of the railway land. It had, however, upheld the decision of the Estate Officer of the Northern Railways announced on August 29, 2003. The Estate Officer had directed the industry to vacate the occupied land. |
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Forest Dept’s eviction drive begins today
Hamirpur, January 6 The department has decided to launch a mass eviction campaign on January 7, according to Divisional Forest Officer (Territorial), Hari Singh Dogra. Dogra clarified here today that all encroachments on the forest land in the district would be vacated and no one would be allowed to have his/her house in the forests. He said this decision was taken as per the policy of the state government to keep the forests free from the encroachers as well as to preserve their ecological balance. Meanwhile, there is resentment among labourers from Bihar and Rajasthan who have set up their jhuggis in forests of the district. They are uncrtain about their future as they know that once uprooted, they will have to set up their hutments at other places, which will be a tedious task for them. |
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Notices to IPH Dept, contractors
Hamirpur, January 6 A sum of Rs 12.50 crore has been sanctioned by the Central Government for the laying of sewerage in the town. Highly-placed sources in the district administration told The Tribune here today that the Deputy Commissioner had warned the contractors to complete the work by January20, failing which a penalty of Rs 10 lakh would be imposed on them. The digging work on the Hamirpur-Shimla and the Hamirpur-Dharamsala National Highways has hindered traffic since October 2004. Sources said the Deputy Commissioner took this step following criticism of the working of the district administration and the Department of Irrigation-cum-Public Health by the media and the public. Moreover, the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has also sought details of the project and the inconvenience being caused to the people. There are reports that the district administration wants to make the Hamirpur-Shimla and Hamirpur-Dharamsala road traffic worthy in view of the forthcoming five-day tour of the Chief Minister from January 20. |
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Human rights panel launches website
Shimla, January 6 The chairman of the Commission, Justice N.K. Jin, officially launched the website, http://himachal.nic.in/hphrc. The website provides detailed information about the Commission, its constitution, functions, procedures, regulations, Human Rights Act, important telephone numbers and complaint enquiry mechanism. Two very important sections are the frequently asked questions and complaint filing which will help the common man in understanding the objectives of the Commission. Through the helpline section, an interface has been opened for the general public to interact with the Commission through the Internet. The launching of the website will go a long way in saving time, money and effort in bringing cases of human rights violations to the notice of the Commission. The website has been designed by the National Informatics Centre, HP. Justice Jain, was instrumental in introducing information technology in a big way in the Madras and Karnataka High Court, during his stint as Chief Justice here. He said certain new features like online filing and status inquiry of complaints would be introduced on the website in the near future. |
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Kasauli centre airs DD News Parwanoo, January 6 A new transmitter of 20 KW at UHF Channel-21 has been installed atop the existing TV tower at centre. The transmitter supplied by a German company.The project has cost around Rs 5 crore. Disclosing this Mr M. S. Duhan, station Engineer, Doordarshan Centre, Kasauli, said DD News service from Kasauli would cover the larger area of the northern region, comprising Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. He said the DD News could be received by using a small Yagi antenna for Channel-21 that costs about Rs 100. Mr Duhan said with the addition of DD News service, the Kasauli tower has now become highly useful to the larger parts of the northern area in India. “The TV Tower with two RCC platforms, besides one steel platform and an aviation light, is useful for Radio transmissions as well”, said Mr Duhan. He added that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had already approved the plan to relay the commercial FM service of AIR Chandigarh through the tower.
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Gen Thakur does Kulu proud
Kulu, January 6 He is the only three-star General among the serving or retired officers from
Kulu and the adjoining Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Major Ramesh Sharma (retd), a former president of the Ex-Services League here, said General Thakur belongs to family, whose members are admired and respected for their humbleness, dedication and high
values. Major Sharma gave credit to the General’s father, the Late Khimi Ram, who brought up his children in a disciplined environment. Subedar-Major Madan Lal Sood (retd) said General Thakur has set an example for the youth of the district to do hard work with dedication and devotion to achieve
success. |
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10-day NSS camp concludes
Sundernagar, January 6 Mr. V.P Jain, Chief Engineer, BBMB, was the chief guest on the concluding day function. He promised to help in the construction of drains of Gau Sadan, the cost of which would be about Rs 2 lakh, and appealed the volunteers to inspire the public at large to work for the community development. During this camp, the volunteers levelled about three bighas on which the construction of Gau Sadan (Shelter for cows) was proposed and also cleaned the historical Sukdev Vatika and Suraj Kund. A large number of local youths also contributed in this noble cause. According to in charge of the NSS unit C.P. Kaushal various talks were also organised during the camp. Local SDM Pankaj Rai interacted with the volunteers and told them about the various developmental schemes. The volunteer were also taught various yoga techniques. The Principal of college, Dr. R.S.Chandel, and the Programme Officer, Mrs Bhupindra Sharma, also contributed for the successful organisation of the camp. |
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