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CM should quit for shielding
Redraw seniority list of IPS officers, says High Court
Cabinet nods amendment to Municipal Act to preserve Shimla’s ecology
Rehabilitation of Sutlej catchment sought
Admn flayed for inaction after floods
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Municipal Council dissolved
BSNL to connect
border areas
One killed, 14 hurt in bus accident
No-parking zone notified
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CM should quit for shielding gun-totting
Nurpur, July 29 Talking to The Tribune this afternoon from his residence at Samirpur in Hamirpur district, Mr Dhumal said a fair inquiry against the officer could be possible only when the Chief Minister and the Chief Parliamentary Secretary resigned from their posts in the government as both had been shielding the official in the past when they were out of power. He alleged that both had already protected the official in 1998 when during the previous Congress regime the officer had taken his official vehicle out of the state without permission, which met with an accident killing the driver of the department. He informed that with the change of government in the state the then BJP government couldn’t take action against the officer as Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Agnihotri had given wrong statements. Welcoming the judgement of the Himachal High Court on the issue of the selection of JBT teachers in the state, Mr Dhumal alleged that the state government had not only befooled the unemployed youths but also misguided the honourable high court by submitting a misleading supplementary affidavit. “As a result, the court has rejected the plea of the state government in which the state had prayed to retain 15 marks for the viva voce,” he added. He said the real face of the government had exposed on this issue. Mr Dhumal alleged that the Virbhadra Singh government had been discriminating against those areas where the BJP or dissident Congress legislatures had been elected. He said the BJP government had approved four government colleges by issuing requisite notifications and by earmarking Rs 4 crore for their opening in the Budget of fiscal year 2002-2003. But after coming to power the present government had revoked the notification for Shahpur in Kangra district, Sindhol in Mandi district and Rajgarh in Sirmour district and only a college was started at Bhorunj in Hamirpur district in a rented accommodation. But recently, the government again issued notification for opening a college at Rajgarh. Mr Dhumal demanded notifications for Shahpur and Sindhol colleges too, which were being represented in the state Assembly, respectively, by the Congress dissident, Mr Vijay Singh Mankotia, and the BJP legislature, Mr Mohinder Singh. Mr Dhumal alleged that the state government had given no objection certificates (NOCs) for setting up the state council of vocational training (SCVT) institutes in the state on political grounds by ignoring the genuine private entrepreneurs. “The complaints of resorting to corrupt practices have also come to notice,” he alleged.
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Redraw seniority list of IPS officers,
Shimla, July 29 A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vinod Kumr Gupta and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel directed that all IPS Officers involved in litigation would be promoted pursuant to the judgement if they are found eligible for such promotions under the rules. However, the Bench observed that the officers who had earlier been promoted shall continue to hold the posts at present held by them. Four senior IPS Officers — Mr O.C. Thakur (batch 1977), Mr R.L. Sood, Mr Pradeep Kimar and Mr A.N. Sharma (all 1979 batch) — had challenged the order of the State Administrative Tribunal whereby it had upheld the validity of seniority list issued by the state government. The petitioner alleged that the respondent IPS officers Mr K.S. Rana (1977 batch), Mr J.K. Monga (1980 batch) and Mr K.C. Sadyal (1984 batch) had been wrongly promoted by the state government by extending them the benefit of ex-serviceman. Senior counsel H.S. Mattewal contended for the petitioners that they were appointed under the 1973 rules and the state government never issued a notification of applying 1972 rules to the appointment of these officers. He further contended that the state has issued a specific notification for applying the rules of 1974 to the police services with effect from 1981. On the other end, it was contended that the seniority list is in accordance with law and the petitioner have never challenged the orders of extending the benefit of army services. Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel held that the placement of respondents officers from the deem dates by extending the benefits of their Army services prior to October 17, 1981, cannot be upheld and is liable to be struck down. Mr Justice Goel further said that rules of 1972 are totally inapplicable to the parties to litigation.
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Cabinet nods amendment to Municipal Act to preserve Shimla’s ecology Shimla, July 29 It also approved merger of 50 per cent of the dearness relief into basic pension for all pensioners. The decision was taken by the state Cabinet at a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister. The necessary amendments were also approved as per which existing Section 352 of the Act providing for a fine extending to Rs 500 or imprisonment of three months is proposed to be made more stringent to conserve fast declining forest cover of Shimla. It is proposed to bring the penalty on a par with the Indian Forest Act, which provides for imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs 5,000. By incorporating a provision in the Act under Section 269(3) sewerage connection was made mandatory for all house-owners. However, still all households are not coming forward to take sewerage connection. As a result unhygienic conditions prevail and the ground water is also getting polluted. Keeping this in view, the Cabinet decided to make the existing penal provision which provides for fine ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 more stringent in case the users fail to obtain sewerage connection or pay the user charges resulting in disconnection of civic amenities. The Cabinet also approved certain amendments in the state Municipal Act applicable to the municipalities to delete the provision debarring those having more than two living children from contesting Municipal poll. Another amendment to make sewerage connection mandatory in all municipalities on the analogy of the Shimla Municipal Corporation and to provide similar penalty for violation was also approved. The third amendment is proposed to prohibit feeding of monkeys, langoors and other stray animals in public places and spitting and throwing garbage in public place. It is also proposed to regulate collection and disposal of garbage in a prescribed manner and on payment of fee as may be fixed by the government, besides enhancing the existing population scales prescribed under the act to determine the number of wards and seats of each municipality for elections. The Cabinet decided to upgrade the schools for visually-impaired children for boys at Dhalli and for girls at Sundernagar from primary to high school level. The Cabinet gave approval for creation of three new Regional Transport Offices at Chamba, Una and Nahan along with supporting staff. The proposal for setting up e-governance societies for rolling out the computerisation activities in the Transport Department which will provide single window services in a time-bound manner and bring transparency and accountability in the functioning of the transport department was also cleared. The bills to replace the Himachal Pradesh Tax on Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments (Amendment) Ordinance. The state Value Added Tax (Amendment) Ordinance were also approved alognwith the draft Ground Water Regulation and Control of Development and Management Bill, to be introduced in the ensuing monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha. The bill not only seeks to regulate exploitation of ground water resources by domestic, commercial and industrial users but also envisages mechanisms to promote conservation and development through groundwater recharge. Apart from permit holders any person extracting groundwater illegally in notified water-stressed areas will be penalised under the provisions of this act. The Bill envisages a royalty on commercial and industrial exploitation of groundwater. Small farmers have been kept out of the purview of the bill. Certain provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Act, will also be amended to enable the Chaudhry Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, to prepare syllabus and conduct examination for the training course of Veterinary Pharmacist Trainees. It also approved the renaming of the college of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Palampur, Dr G.C. Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. The Cabinet cleared the proposal for raising loan from the Power Finance Corporation for renovation, modernization and uprating of Bhakra Left Bank Power House and creation of post of Deputy Director (Research) in the state Institute of Public Administration. |
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Rehabilitation of Sutlej catchment sought
Shimla, July 29 Addressing a press conference here after a three-day tour of the flood-ravaged Kinnaur district, he said that it was a case diplomatic failure as the Chinese did not give any advance warning about the floods as promised. In fact, the Chinese Ambassador called on Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, on June 25 and the lake breached the very next day, causing devastating flashfloods in the Sutlej. Intriguingly, the Deputy Commissioner had announced that there was no threat from the Parechu lake and the people moved to safer places only when they learnt that floodwater had entered Sumdoh. Consequently, the people of Leo village where the floodwater reached within an hour , did not get any time to take out even their personal belongings. The entire village was washed away. The fact that the floods hit the village during daytime saved their lives. He said floods had become a regular feature in the Sutlej and it was time that the state government submitted an integrated plan for the environmental rehabilitation of the degraded catchment to the Planning Commission. He also expressed concern over the manner in which sluice gates of the Baspa dam were opened without informing the local administration or giving any warning to the people living downstream who bore the brunt of the flood caused by the sudden release of water.
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Admn flayed for inaction after floods
Bilaspur, July 29 Addressing media persons here yesterday along with half a dozen other Kisan leaders, Kisan Morcha district general secretary Roshan Thakur said that farmers in panchayat areas of Sikroha, Dhuni Punjail, Kotla, Jukhala, Sairdebha, Markand, Makari, Deoli, Bagi Banola and Kuddi Bharathu etc situated on both banks of Ali Khud had suffered huge losses and more than two dozen water-driven flour-mills had also been washed away depriving these poor families of their only livelihood. These leaders urged Chief Minister to order immediate assessment of the damage caused to their lands, crops and vegetables and property and to provide immediate compensation to the affected people. Morcha also demanded that since Khair wood was the only cash-crop of farmers in these lower hills government should also fix its market price as presently some “Katha” Contractors have collaborated to fleece Khair farmers and even government would have to suffer revenue losses.
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Municipal Council dissolved
Mandi, July 29 Three councillors — Mr Anil Kapur, Mr Pushp Raj and Mr Amaninder Singh raised the issue of the parking lot near the bridge facing Panchvakhtar temple in the house today, and pressed in harsh tone, the president to start the work. Ms Sonkhla said that the Archaeology Department, which protects the Panchvakhtar temple had not given no-objection certificate for the construction of parking lot. “Moreover the parking lot place falls in the flood zone that can be a risk to security of the vehicles there”, she added. Before the issue could be discussed in detail bare, the restive councillors shouted in the house at which Ms Sonkhla charged the councillors with using unparliamentary language and announced that the housed stood dissolved. Ms Sonkhla along with the three of her supporters walked out of the house. Meanwhile, the issue of parking lot was reported in The Tribune last year when the Archaeology Department raised a objection to its construction near the temple. Mr Anil Sharma, a former Rajya Sabha MP from Mandi had given Rs 4 lakh for the parking lot from the MP Local Areas Fund last year.
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BSNL to connect
border areas
Chamba, July 29 Giving this information here today, Mr Jitender Kumar, Divisional Engineer, Telecommunications (DET), Chamba said in order to cope with the recurring problem created by miscreants and thieves who cut the cable frequently, the aerial cable system would be converted into underground mode in Salooni and Tissa border sectors. This would give a permanent relief to the occasional problem of breakdowns in the telecom network. |
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One killed, 14 hurt in bus accident
Dalhousie, July 29 According to
official sources, the deceased had been identified as Devi Chand, conductor of the bus. The injured had been admitted to the nearby Dalhousie and Bathri civil hospitals for treatment. The condition of about seven passengers was stated to be critical. The police had registered a case. |
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No-parking zone notified Shimla, July 29 As per the notification, the road leading to Bharari from Longwood has been declared a one-way traffic road. All vehicles going towards Bharari from the main road at Longwood shall ply on the road falling left side of the hill and those coming towards Shimla from Bharari on the right side via the Zila Sainik Rest House. |
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