H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

128 schools to be closed from today
Solan, April 29
As many as 128 government primary schools in Himachal Pradesh will be closed from tomorrow. A notification in this regard was issued today to various Deputy Directors of the 11 districts across the state. The move follows the decision of the government to merge these schools, which had been opened violating various norms, with others.

750 dental surgeons jobless
Kangra, April 29
Resentment prevails among unemployed dental surgeons of the state who are running from pillar to post for getting themselves adjusted in government jobs.

CM takes exception to Central clearance
to projects
Shimla, April 29
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has taken exception to the decision of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to grant environmental clearance to the Chamera-III and Parbati-III projects without the “mandatory recommendation” of the state government and “no objection certificate” from the Pollution Control Board.

Anti-encroachment drive under cloud
Dalhousie, April 29
A drive against encroachment and illegal structures conducted this week has not only created panic in the town but has also raised many questions over the functioning of the local administration. The authorities concerned could not dare to demolish around 23 multistoreyed structures that had been served with notices for flouting construction norms.

‘Ban multistoreyed buildings in Chamba’
Chamba, April 29
A team of geologists headed by Mr V.K. Sharma, a senior geologist from the Geological Survey of India, has said that construction of multistoreyed buildings should be banned in Chamba due to its location in the seismic zone-V.

Constructions along rivers to be checked
Shimla, April 29
With no lessons having been learnt from the horrors of flood in the Sutlej, causing extensive damage to houses along the river, the state government has finally decided to take stringent action in case of constructions which are highly susceptible to hazards.

Master plan for promoting tourism sought
Shimla, April 29
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Himachal Pradesh Government to prepare a master plan for the development of tourism and set up a committee to monitor ground-level implementation of policy decisions involving all the relevant departments.

HC asks judicial officers to file objections
Shimla, April 29
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed judicial officers of the state to file objections with the high court on administrative side against the placement of direct recruitment of Additional District Judges in the gradation list circulated on January 1.

Bid to tarnish my image, says Lenka
Shimla, April 29
The battle between the rival Congress factions for supremacy in the party took a new turn yesterday with Mr K.C.Lenka, state election authority for the organisation poll, alleging that a planned attempt was being made to stall “free and fair” elections by launching a vilification campaign against him in the media.

Apple growers to use polymer cartons
Shimla, April 29
Apple growers of the state will be able to market their produce in sleek, durable and attractive cartons with the launching of the modern polymer cartons by Cello, the world’s second largest manufacturer of writing pens, from the ensuing season.

High Court sets aside charges against Asha Kumari
Shimla, April 29
Decks have been cleared for the re-induction of Ms Asha Kumari, former Education Minister, in the state Cabinet with the High Court setting aside the order of the special Judge, Chamba, framing charges against her in the alleged land-grab case.

Closed units to face deregistration
Parwanoo, April 29
The local Industries Department has started the process to deregister the closed units here. As per the information available, 50 such units have reported in a survey that was found closed.

Stray cattle menace on Kalka-Shimla highway
Parwanoo, April 29
The stray cattle menace has risen to an alarming proportion on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway No 22. Hordes of stray cattle can be seen roaming along the highway.

Farm varsity VC lays stress on research
Solan, April 29
Though crores of rupees was being invested on agriculture research only 20 per cent of the technical knowledge was disseminated among the farmers.

Nepalese man gets 10-yr RI under NDPS Act
Kulu, April 29
A District Sessions Judge today convicted and sentenced a Nepali National to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

128 schools to be closed from today
Our Correspondent

Solan, April 29
As many as 128 government primary schools in Himachal Pradesh will be closed from tomorrow. A notification in this regard was issued today to various Deputy Directors of the 11 districts across the state. The move follows the decision of the government to merge these schools, which had been opened violating various norms, with others.

A copy of the notification revealed that 44 schools in Shimla district, 28 in Kangra, 26 in Mandi, 12 in Sirmaur, 2 each in Kullu, Solan and Hamirpur, 3 each in Kinnaur and Chamba and 6 in Una face closure from tomorrow. Officials in the Education Department said the running of these schools opened without ascertaining their viability was creating difficulty in their smooth functioning. It was observed that most of these schools were opened in a periphery of merely a kilometre of an existing school. This led a few students joining the schools which in many cases were barely 20.

Such schools drew flak from the people as the Education Department found it difficult to post adequate staff there. Two schools will face the axe in Solan. Government Primary School, Kanoola Nichla, falling in the Nalagarh education block and Role-Da-Khala Panchayat, will be merged with the nearby Government Primary School, Kanoola. Another primary school at Chalyali, falling in the Arki block and Maan Panchayat, will be merged with Government Primary School, Payar.

750 dental surgeons jobless
Our Correspondent

Kangra, April 29
Resentment prevails among unemployed dental surgeons of the state who are running from pillar to post for getting themselves adjusted in government jobs.

Dr Parneet Nayyar, Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Unemployed Dental Surgeons Association, said today that there were nearly 750 unemployed dental surgeons in the state and every year 350 more were joining the list of unemployed. He said there were five dental colleges in the state, including a Government Dental College.

Dr Nayyar said the previous BJP regime had only filled seven posts in tribal areas just before the poll and these surgeons were the product of Government Dental College, Shimla. According to source, four out of the seven surgeons had left their jobs.

Dr Nayyar said when the present government came to power only 14 posts were filled on the contract basis with a consolidated salary of Rs 12,000. “These appointments were, however, not made through the State Public Service Commission”, Dr Nayyar regretted. A dental surgeon from Rohru did not join at Bharmour. The only post filled in Chamba district remained vacant as the surgeon got himself adjusted some were else. He said in Kangra district only one dental surgeon was appointed out of 14 and that too was the daughter of a former Congress minister and sister of a Parliamentary Secretary. He said dental surgeons of the state could not do postgraduation, as there was no such facility provided in the state.

The dental health service has sought government’s approval for more posts but the state government was pushing the needed requisition under the carpet. He said, as per recommendations of the Dental Council of India every Primary Health Center should have one dental surgeon. Community Health Center should have two dental surgeons and subdivisional hospitals two BDS and one MDS doctor. Every Zonal Hospital should have five dental surgeons, he added.

In Himachal Pradesh there are 441 Primary Health Centers, 228 Community Health Centers, 50 Subdivisional Hospitals and two district hospitals and 10 Zonal Hospitals. However, there are only 152 dental surgeons as against 1,103, which violate the recommendations laid down by the Dental Council of India.

Dr Nayyar said a large number of MBBS doctors had been appointed during the last two years and the state’s Cabinet was regularly sanctioning new posts. He said the state government was not serious about the trauma unemployed dental surgeons were undergoing and sufferings of rural population. He expressed apprehensions that if this section of the society was ignored this might have adverse affect on poor people.

The association demanded that the state government should reduce the number of seats in all five dental colleges and sanction new posts as per DCI recommendations and accommodate 750 unemployed dental surgeons of the state.

CM takes exception to Central clearance to projects
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has taken exception to the decision of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to grant environmental clearance to the Chamera-III and Parbati-III projects without the “mandatory recommendation” of the state government and “no objection certificate” from the state Pollution Control Board.

The matter is being taken up at the highest level as such a decision will affect the fragile hill environment where a number of mega hydroelectric projects with an aggregate capacity of over 6,000 MW are to be implemented over the next seven years. The state is peeved over the fact that the clearance had been granted without making even a reference to it even as the matter was under its active consideration.

The board has served notice on the authorities of the two projects asking them not to start work without obtaining the necessary clearances from it under the Water Pollution Act and the Air Pollution Act.

The government has sent a letter to the ministry expressing its strong reservations to the decision and urging it to reconsider the decision. It has pointed out that even if the Power Ministry or the NHPC was pressing for early clearance to these projects, the correct status of these cases should have been first ascertained from the state government.

Anti-encroachment drive under cloud
Balkrishan Prashar

Dalhousie, April 29
A drive against encroachment and illegal structures conducted this week has not only created panic in the town but has also raised many questions over the functioning of the local administration.

The authorities concerned could not dare to demolish around 23 multistoreyed structures that had been served with notices for flouting construction norms.

Even government departments have their own style of evading the provisions of various Acts including the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act.

In the case of Chamba town, where the Town Planning Act was extended in 1987, the administration does not bother to refer its proposals to the Department of Town and Country Planning. In many cases various government departments did not bother to refer their development proposals to the Town Planning Department for landuse clearance.

Even the Bhuri Singh Museum was allegedly taken over without obtaining a landuse clearance from the department. The industrial area at Parel and Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sarol, were developed without such a clearance. Staff quarters of the Public Works Department, near the sub-jail, were allegedly constructed in violation of building bylaws.

Officials of various departments in Chamba expressed their ignorance in this regard. Private builders said the Act was being used as a weapon against them while government departments did not pay any heed to it.

‘Ban multistoreyed buildings in Chamba’
Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 29
A team of geologists headed by Mr V.K. Sharma, a senior geologist from the Geological Survey of India, has said that construction of multistoreyed buildings should be banned in Chamba due to its location in the seismic zone-V. The region is susceptible to mild tremors where vibrations often occur from time to time, he said.

After taking a round of the town, the team of geologists while interacting with members of Chamba Welfare Association and the local civil engineers revealed that houses raised on the fringe were not safe.

The team inspected the landslide-prone areas of Chowgan, Kashmiri, Jansali and Hatnala. The geologists also visited ancient Suhi Mata temple and inspected the eroding hillock, which had recently been threatened by the huge landslide due to incessant rain and tremors.

The team conducted a comprehensive study and assessed the damages caused by landslides in and around the historic Chamba town.

The geologists observed that excavation of tunnels on the prestigious hydropower projects on the river basin in Himachal Pradesh did not cause any harm to the ecology and natural resources like water and forests.

Constructions along rivers to be checked
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
With no lessons having been learnt from the horrors of flood in the Sutlej, causing extensive damage to houses along the river, the state government has finally decided to take stringent action in case of constructions which are highly susceptible to hazards.

The Director, Town and Country Planning (TCP), Mr J.R.Verma, issued directions in this regard last week, which have been circulated to all the important government departments, for strict implementation. These directions have been issued in view of the unprecedented pressure being witnessed in the form of constructions on the beds of streams, rivulets, nullahs, khuds and choes. Interestingly, the directions issued by the department point out that even government departments were the culprits as they too had undertaken constructions work at sensitive locations. 

Master plan for promoting tourism sought
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Himachal Pradesh Government to prepare a master plan for the development of tourism and set up a committee to monitor ground-level implementation of policy decisions involving all the relevant departments.

Underlining the need for an effective positioning strategy and identification of target market segments, for the marketing of tourism, it suggested that the state government should increase the budgetary allocation for tourism promotion from the current Rs 5.15 crore. The monitoring committee should function in a time-bound manner and should be empowered to take decisions.

To increase the number of international tourists to the state, the chamber stressed that the terminal and ground support facilities should be upgraded to international standards at Shimla, Kullu and Dharamsala. Besides, Sundernagar be developed as a major hub for air connectivity. The Jubbarhatti Airport of Shimla be expanded to facilitate landing of large aircraft and the government must encourage short landing and take-off aircraft for smaller air strips which would help in opening up of valleys in hill regions.

The master plan for tourism should focus on the upgradation of existing destinations and identification and development of new destinations and care should be taken to ensure that new construction that took place should be in tune with the natural environment of the hills.

HC asks judicial officers to file objections
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, April 29
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed judicial officers of the state to file objections with the high court on administrative side against the placement of direct recruitment of Additional District Judges in the gradation list circulated on January 1. Full bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr Vinod Kumar Gupta, Mr Justice L.S. Panta and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel suggested that without going in to the merits of the dispute if the petitioners were given an opportunity to filing objections against the gradation list for the placement of the person covered therein and if such objections were decided by the High Court in a reasonable time whether the interest of the parties would be served.

On this suggestion senior advocate H.S. Matewal for the petitioner submitted that they were absolutely in agreement with this suggestion and they would withdraw the petition with liberty to submit the representation.

This order came on the petition where in petitioner have raised the law point that whether under the scheme of 1973 rules only those officers appointed against permanent posts and with in the prescribed quota could alone be treated as members of the higher judicial service. 

Bid to tarnish my image, says Lenka
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
The battle between the rival Congress factions for supremacy in the party took a new turn yesterday with Mr K.C.Lenka, state election authority for the organisation poll, alleging that a planned attempt was being made to stall “free and fair” elections by launching a vilification campaign against him in the media.

Mr Lenka , who deferred the election process after he was manhandled by some party workers, who were unhappy over the manner in which elections were conducted, said today that a mischievous attempt was being made to tarnish his image.

In a statement here today, he alleged that vested interests were working to create misunderstanding between him and Ms Ambika Soni, AICC General Secretary, by going concocting stories to the media. He asserted that Ms Soni never interfered in the ongoing election process. 

Apple growers to use polymer cartons
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
Apple growers of the state will be able to market their produce in sleek, durable and attractive cartons with the launching of the modern polymer cartons by Cello, the world’s second largest manufacturer of writing pens, from the ensuing season.

The company is in the process of setting up a manufacturing unit at Baddi, which will have a capacity to produce one crore polymer cartons annually. The unit being set up at Rs 40 crore through its subsidiary Wimplast will start production in June, a month before the commencing of the apple-harvesting season. The company already has plants at Daman and Jodhpur.

High Court sets aside charges against Asha Kumari
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29
Decks have been cleared for the re-induction of Ms Asha Kumari, former Education Minister, in the state Cabinet with the High Court setting aside the order of the special Judge, Chamba, framing charges against her in the alleged land-grab case.

A close relative of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, Ms Asha Kumari had resigned from the Cabinet after the court framed charges against her in the case along with 13 others.

Mr Virbhadra Singh did not let her down when she was going through the worst crisis of her political career.

After Ms Asha Kumari’s resignation on moral grounds, the Chief Minister did not show any inclination to induct anyone in her place. The berth remained vacant even after the recent balancing act which saw appointment of seven chief parliamentary secretaries and four parliamentary secretaries.

Her re-induction into the Cabinet will be a formality and a matter of time. The process of organisational elections in the Congress is under way and the Chief Minister may like to wait till it is complete.

Closed units to face deregistration
Jagmeet Y. Ghuman

Parwanoo, April 29
The local Industries Department has started the process to deregister the closed units here. As per the information available, 50 such units have reported in a survey that was found closed. Show-cause notices were issued to the owners of closed units on March 18 seeking their reply on the matter, said Mr G.S. Chauhan, Member Secretary of local Single Window Clearance Agency of the Industries Department.

More than 10 units have replied and pleaded not to de-register the units, as their work was seasonal and market demand based, he said. Such units would be given more time before the deregistering process against them began, said Mr Chauhan. After deregistration process, the Industries Department would make a request to the Himachal Pradesh Housing Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) to start the process to cancel the lease right of closed units.

Stray cattle menace on Kalka-Shimla highway
Our Correspondent

Parwanoo, April 29
The stray cattle menace has risen to an alarming proportion on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway No 22. Hordes of stray cattle can be seen roaming along the highway. The number of accidents involving stray cattle is on the rise. The driving particularly for two-wheelers has become quite risky during night, as one can not see the sitting stray cattle on the road.

Most of the stray cattle generally roam in and around roadside dhabas and eating points in search of food. The roadside makeshift vends, which sell local vegetable produce to motorists, further add to the problem as the stray cattle keep moving around them. The number of stray cattle has increased manifold in the past. Unproductive cows abandoned by villagers generally make roads their abode. Moreover, with farming becoming less remunerative and farmers shifting to other avenues to make their both ends meet the use of cattle in village life was on a decline, pointed a social worker.

Changing weather condition, the scarcity of water and fodder for the cattle often forced the villagers to depend less on cattle as a result more and more abandoned cattle were seen roaming here and there, he pointed. The tunnels on the Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge rail section were being used by the stray cattle as shelter from rain and heat. It generally proved fatal for the cattle as they often get serious injuries after being hit by the running train.

Farm varsity VC lays stress on research
Our Correspondent

Solan, April 29
Though crores of rupees was being invested on agriculture research only 20 per cent of the technical knowledge was disseminated among the farmers. Though in Himachal Pradesh this figure is as high as 80 per cent but there is an urgent need to undertake the crucial farm research from the lab to the farm. This was stated by Dr Jagmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Y.S Parmar University, Nauni, yesterday.

Dr Jagmohan, who recently took over as the Vice-Chancellor said his main objective would be to enhance this percentage. He said lack of planting material, high cost of inputs involved in adopting a new technology and small land holdings were some of the handicaps, which deterred a farmer from adopting new technologies.

Nepalese man gets 10-yr RI under NDPS Act

Kulu, April 29
A District Sessions Judge today convicted and sentenced a Nepali National to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

According to the prosecution, Nepali national Jai Bahadur was carrying 2 kg charas when he was caught by the Kulu police on January 5, last year. — UNI