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Parwanoo/Chandigarh, October 12 Tragedy struck Koti and Kurara villages, near here, when seven persons died on the spot and 15 sustained injuries after a Mahindra pick-up van carrying the victims, collided head on with a bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) near Chakki Ka Mour, about 7 km from Parwanoo, past midnight.
Kulu Dasehra begins
Digging work at dam galleries no child's play
Govt ‘diluting’ autonomy of varsity
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Govt mulls fund for temple upkeep
Birla factory, workers reach compromise
Judicial court complex stone laid
Sutlej Jal Nigam to have new Director
Dist blood banks can open account at PGI
Parwanoo sewerage in bad shape
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7 dead, 15 hurt in bus-van crash Parwanoo/Chandigarh, October 12 The dead have been identified as Ganesh Dutt (28), Anita (28), Suman, Dinesh (19), Mani Ram (40), Braham Dutt (40) and Bhupinder Singh (33), all residents of Koti and
Karara. Three seriously injured persons were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, and seven with multiple injuries taken to GMCH, Sector 32, by 5 am. Two of the victims - Priyanka (5) and Meenakshi (4) - who escaped with minor injuries were among those admitted at GMCH, Sector 32 and the PGI, respectively. The Delhi-Rampur bus had just left Parwanoo and was heading for Shimla when two vehicles, including the ill-fated Mahindra pick-up van coming from the opposite direction tried to cross the bus. A police official said that one of the vehicles managed to pass smoothly but the Mahindra pick-up collided head on with the speeding bus. The driver of the van, Bhupinder Singh (33), hailing from Byla village was among those killed on the spot. Inquiries reveal that the van was overloaded with 22 persons that included four women and two children and was returning to their village Kurara after viewing Ramlila at
Jabli. The police has arrested Jagdish Chand, driver of the HRTC bus. A case under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the IPC was registered against him for rash and negligent driving. The bus was impounded by the Parwanoo police. All occupants of the bus escaped without any major injury. The five injured were admitted in the local ESI Hospital, while six were discharged after getting first aid. A visit to the spot revealed that the collision was so severe that pick-up van has badly mangled in the incident. All injured were rushed to local ESI Hospital before being shifted to Chandigarh. Some bus passengers called up the local police that reached the spot after 15 minutes. The bus passengers with minor injuries were also provided first aid. Villagers from the nearby area rushed with help after learning about the accident. At the accident spot, heart-rending scenes were witnessed as wailing villagers tried to identify their near and dear ones in the darkness. Those referred to the PGI are Manoj, Surinder and Meenakshi. Those admitted at the GMCH are Manoj,
Prinyaka, Tara Devi, Pooja, Krishan Kumar, Amar and Kanta Devi. Doctors attending on the victims told The Tribune that most of the patients had suffered injuries of the head, chest and on other upper body parts. Two of the patients were Mr
T.R. Suryavanshi, constable in the Himachal police, who was accompanying Manoj, said since the accident took place on the highway, the patients were evacuated to Chandigarh by about 5 am. Ramesh, another attendant at the hospital, said he was keeping his fingers crossed as the progress of the victims was slow. Om Parkash, whose brother Budh Ram had escaped unhurt in the accident, told The Tribune that strict action should be taken against the driver of the bus. The occupants in the pick-up van did not get time to react. The HRTC extended an aid of Rs 5,000 to the kin of those killed. Since those killed were not commuting by the HRTC bus, this monetary help had been extended on a compassionate grounds informed the Regional Manager of HRTC, Mr Pankaj Singhal. A pall of gloom descended on the house of Suman Devi(29) and Anita Devi (28), both sisters who died. They were married in the same family. Their relative Dinesh(19) was among those killed. His mother and sister were among those injured and admitted at Chandigarh. Suman leaves behind two children one of whom was injured in the accident.
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Kulu Dasehra begins
Kulu, October 12 Thousands of devotees, including tourists from the USA, the UK, Canada, France and Israel, struggled with one another to pull the sacred rath of Lord Raghunath to the middle of the divine camp at Dhalpur Maidan. The locals consider it a religious duty to pull the rath to the middle of the legendary battlefield. Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushil Kumar Shindey, Himachal Pradesh Governor VS Kokje and the Chief Justice of HP High Court, Mr VK Gupta, Raj Kishan Gaur, Agriculture Minister, who is also chairman of the Kulu Dasehra Committee, Mr Satya Parkash Thakur, Chairman of Marketing Board and other guests were also present. “I have come here for the first time to watch the Kulu Dasehra. It is a sea of humanity here that reminds me of the Rath Yatra of Puri,” said Mr Sushil Kumar Shindey. For the locals, rath yatra of Lord Raghunath is a sacred occasion when they come back home to participate in Dasehra as it is religious time to be with the family members. Mr Alex Barwise, a tourist from London, who along with his four friends, came to watch Dasehra for the first time. “Not many know in London much about Kulu Dasehra,” he said. CHAMBA: The burning of effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghanatha in the historic Chowgan of Chamba today marked the celebration of Dasehra, which depicts the triumph of good over the evil. The Navaratras, during which Ramleela was organised by the local Ramleela Club, was also concluded with the worship of Durga and reciting of the epic Ramayana, the life story of Lord Rama in the houses and age-old temples, including the prominent Lakshmi Narayan temple. Earlier, a procession organised by the local Ramleela Club was taken out in the main bazaars of Chamba, which was accompanied by dignitaries, residents and elite of Chamba. The local band troupes and the display of fireworks were the rare attractions on this occasion. The idols of Durga were immersed in the holy waters of the Ravi by praying for the welfare of the living beings of this universe. KANGRA: Dasehra was celebrated here with religious fervor and thousands of people enjoyed the setting the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Megnath on fire in the local Municipal stadium here today. The entire town was humming with activities after this afternoon when men, women and children started converging into the venue of Dasehra. Mr Bal Krishen Sharma, president of the Dasehra Committee set the effigies on fire amid applause and “Jai Sri Ram” slogan. The idol of Goddess Kali, which was worshipped in the Tara Mandir on the outskirts of this town, at Birta was taken out in big procession by thousands of devotees to Banner Khad. The idol of Kali was immersed in the waters of the Banner Khad amid slogan shouting reciting hymns and Vedic chanting. The idol was kept during Navratras in Tara Mandir. |
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Digging work at dam galleries no child's play
SUNDERNAGAR: The digging work at 16 galleries of 800 MW Kol Dam is being carried out on a war footing. The work is totally manual as machines can not be taken in the galleries. The dam is being constructed on the Sutlej.Its height will be 163 metres. The galleries section of the work is very important as it provides intermediate and deep grout curtain for the dam foundation , to inspect the behavior of the dam during and after impounding and to drain out the seepage water. A spot visit to different galleries revealed that the work which is going on is itself a challenging job. No one is allowed to enter the galleries without gum shoes and helmet to ensure safety. According to Mr. H.R. Kapoor, in charge Galleries' section, who accompanied this correspondent during a visit to different galleries, the total cost for the construction of different galleries is Rs 40 crore.As many as 160 persons are working in shifts at various locations round the clock. Interestingly all galleries are inter- connected. Out of the 16 galleries five are inclined, four are drainage, five are subhorizontal and one gallery is below the river bed. This gallery is about 40 metres below the river bed and at present the digging work is going at this gallery. According to Mr R.B. Pathak, General Manager, Kol Dam Project, the work on galleries is most challenging and one of the toughest jobs in the construction of a dam. He said all safety norms were being complied with and special care had been taken for the communication. Regular medical check up camps were being held and till date no mishap had been reported. The work is being carried out under the Technical supervision of Electro de France( a French company). Experts from the company visit the site regularly to monitor the progress.
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Govt ‘diluting’ autonomy of varsity
Shimla, October 12 General Secretary of the Association Prof Sunil Gupta said as per a government notification of September 22, grant-in-aid shall be sanctioned to HPU only if funds are available and the university justified that it could not mobilise money through its own resources. “By issuing these kind of notifications the government had converted the university into a government department,” he alleged. He also lashed out at the government for making rules where it had been made mandatory to seek permission from them for creation of posts in the university. |
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Govt mulls fund for temple upkeep
Shimla, October 12 Disclosing this while presiding over a Bhima Kali Temple Trust meeting at Sarahan last evening, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the government also proposed to enhance budgetary allocations for the promotion of heritage, religious and related tourism activities. He said the corpus would be utilised for the renovation, upkeep, and preservation of heritage temples, besides meeting the recurring expenses. He said the interest on the corpus would be used for minor repair and maintenance works in prominent ancient temples of the state. A comprehensive guidelines would be framed for the utilisation of the fund. His government was paying special attention to the upkeep of temples. The Union Ministry of Culture was also being approached from time to time to secure funds for the maintenance of prominent heritage temples. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the government was also contemplating installing fire-fighting equipment at major temples.
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Birla factory, workers reach compromise Baddi, October 12 The Industries Minister, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, when contacted on phone said he was unaware of the episode as he was away at Delhi. About his recent visit to the unit which had allegedly created some misunderstanding about the minimum wages, he said a committee had been constituted to look into the matter. Its report was awaited, he added. The SDM, Ms Rupali Thakur, DSP Mr Sandip Dhawal, and Labour Officer, Mr Ranbir Sipahia, upheld the decision to suspend five of the 15 workers found guilty of inciting agitation among the workers. Disciplinary action would be taken against them after following the due procedure. The management on its part conceded to the condition of effecting a 1 per cent hike in the bonus. It also withdrew its October 1 notice of curtailing eight days of salary in lieu of the gross indiscipline from the workers. Instead, leave without pay would be entered in the records for the absence of workers from the second shift of October 10 to October 11. Normal work would resume in the unit from tomorrow as agreed upon between the management and the workers’ representatives. According to sources, the issue of wages had sparked off this agitation. Officials when contacted on the issue of minimum wages committee said that some contention had arisen over the payment of minimum wages to the 37 contract workers. The committee comprising the Labour Officer and the General Manager District Industries centre had however directed the management to effect a hike from the prevailing Rs 70 per day. This was duly complied by, but it had led to a fresh demand from the others to hike the wages to Rs 110 per day, revealed the Labour Officer. He added that the unit paid the wages as per the Minimum Wages Act prevalent in the state and a hike would be effected after the new notification. Earlier, the Industries Minister had raided the unit after information of the violation of the HP employment policy which made it mandatory to employ 70 per cent local youth. Though the unit is dominated by workers from Orissa, UP, Bihar and Rajasthan, since no benefits have been availed under the central industrial package, no violation in granting employment was found here.
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Judicial court complex stone laid
Manali, October 12 The Chief Justice, addressing members of the local Bar Association and residents, said efforts were being made to raise the construction of new judicial court complexes throughout the state . He added that at many places, the court buildings had became old and at some places courts were being housed in rented buildings. Mr VK Gupta, said that the state government, to construct more court complexes in the state, had raised a loan worth Rs 25 crores from Hudco. He expressed a hope that the complex would be completed by May 31, 2006. Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, state Agriculture Minister, Mr Rajan Gupta CJM, Kullu, and Mr Ravinder Sood, president Manali Bar Association also spoke at the function. Those present on the occasion were Manali Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate Kanwar Pawanjit Singh, Deputy Commissioneer , Kullu Mr Chamel Singh, Mr A .P. Singh, SP, Kullu, Chief Engineer, HPPWD Mr D.P. Sharma , SDM , Manali, Mr Rameshwer Sharma, Superintending Engineer, HPPWD, Mr B.S. Rajpal .
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Sutlej Jal Nigam to have new Director
Shimla, October 12 According to sources, the government has already written to the Centre in this regard. The nigam is a joint venture in which the Centre and the state have 75 per cent and 25 per cent equity, respectively. The government has emphasised that in case the director is not taken from the state cadre, it will not have any representation on the board of directors. With the 25 per cent equity in the nigam, it is entitled to at least one or two directors in the five-member board. The present incumbent, Mr Tarun Kapoor, who appointed to the post for five-year term in 2001, is from the state IAS cadre. The Centre had as an exception allowed him to retain his cadre. It was a one-time dispensation. As per rules an officer has to quit the IAS to take up such assignments in the public sector undertaking. The term of Mr Kapoor is to be completed in December, 2006, but the state wants him back immediately. Acting on the state’s request, the Union Power Ministry has initiated the process for selecting the next incumbent. |
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Dist blood banks can open account at PGI
Mandi, October 12 In a response to the story published in The Tribune on October 3, which highlighted the problem faced by the blood banks in the region, Dr Pankaj Kaul, from the State Blood Transfusion Council, Chandigarh stated in a letter that the PGI provided an insurance policy for donors and institutes, which participated and donated blood at the camps organised by the Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGI. Dr Kaul informed that the donors could open a blood donation account at the PGI, which also provides an insurance for a period of one year. “The blood so collected can be used by the patients, friends/family members of the donors for a period of one year from the date of his/her last donation”, Dr Kaul said. Dr Kaul said that the PGI could also provide blood on request from the medical officers concerned to patients, who could not be brought to the PGI. Even the Deputy Director, Health, Himachal Pradesh, Dr Meenu Sood, in July last had directed all senior medical officers in the district hospitals to get in touch with the Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGI to open the blood donation account. |
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Parwanoo sewerage in bad shape Parwanoo, October 12 In fact, the sewerage management has become a major headache for the council as it is neither financially nor technically sound to manage it. These days overflowing of sewage is a common site. The situation gets ugly during rains. Certain areas have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The town was initially planned for a population of of 5,000. Now its population is over 20,000. Of late, the flow of migrant labourers to the town has increased. The sewerage laid down about 27 years ago has become outdated, says Mr Sushil Kumar Mittal, Executive Officer of the council. The present diameter of the sewer pipe is between 4 and 6 inch. However, according to the present situation, the diameter should be at least 1 foot, he maintained. There is also a shortage of sweepers. Fourteen sweepers have to face tough time to handle the sewerage-related complaints, he said. Presently, the council needs nearly 30 sweepers. Mr Mittal says the council is likely to get a Central grant of Rs 5 crore.
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Body of young man found
Nahan, October 12 According to a report lodged with the police by the parents of deceased, Prem Chand had been missing since October 10. He had gone to attend funeral of a person on the bank of Yamuna but did not return. |
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