H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Govt to hire private professionals to revive sick PSUs
Nurpur, January 18
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has underlined the need for the revival of public sector undertakings PSUs and make them viable by equipping them to face the competition by the emerging private sector industrialisation in the state

3 foreigners arrested
Shimla, January 18
The police has arrested three foreigners from Nigeria and Liberia for posing as diamond merchants, wanting to strike a deal with some local people.

Parwanoo bridge cries for attention
Parwanoo, January 18
Even as efforts were on to beautify the local multipurpose barrier, the gateway to state, the vital bridge linking state with Haryana has failed to get attention. The bridge was designed keeping in mind the high speed of vehicles crossing from the spot. However, with the setting up of multi-purpose barrier, the vehicles have to cross at a snail’s pace.

Bali’s son booked
Kangra, January 18
Tension prevailed in the town yesterday following an assault on Mr Trilok Raj Sharma, a close associate of the local MLA, Mr Surender Kaku, allegedly by Raghuvir Singh Bali, a son of the Transport and Tourism Minister, Mr G.S. Bali.

Aged staff exempted from posting in remote areas
Shimla, January 18
The government employees who have completed 52 years of age will not be posted in the tribal and remote areas, where majority of the people getting their first appointment will be asked to serve.

BCA course launched
Shimla, January 18
The ICFAI University has launched a distance learning programme bachelor of computer applications in view of the tremendous job opportunities being created in the growing information technology sector in the country.

Govt to hire private professionals to revive sick PSUs
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, January 18
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has underlined the need for the revival of public sector undertakings PSUs and make them viable by equipping them to face the competition by the emerging private sector industrialisation in the state

Expressing concern over the increasing loss earning PSUs in the state, the Chief Minister at a press conference here today pointed out that to revive sick units, the government had decided to hire the services of professional managers from out side the state. My government’s first priority is to revive the sick units, in case it is not feasible all efforts will be made to amalgamate these with viable units” he added. He said the closure of such units would be last option to the government.

Criticising the BJP leaders to challenge the ruling Congress government following winning the posts of Kangra zila parishad, he said the Congress was ready to accept BJP’s challenge. He said the BJP after winning this election with a margin of only four votes, was claiming the erosion of mass base of the Congress. The truth was that the BJP had lost in 10 out of 14 block development committees in Kangra district alone. “Apart from this, the Congress has swept nine out of 12 zila parishads and majority of the elected members or pradhas in gram panchayats elections are Congress supported,” he claimed.

The Chief Minister said his government had laid emphasis on social services and had been spending 47 per cent of its annual budget on social welfare programmes.

Talking on the Rs 1800 crore proposed plan size of the state for the coming fiscal year, he claimed that unlike the previous BJP government, his government had separated components of non-Plan expenditure from its proposed annual Plan size which would give impetus to development activities in the state.

Answering questions of the mediapersons, the Chief Minister said the creation of new districts in the state was not his government’s priority. “ As and when this exercises required, the government will create new districts purely on administrative and geographical basis,” he reiterated.

He informed that to curb the menace of illicit liquor in the state, the government was contemplating the proposal to legalise bootlegging by ‘Sansis’ a tribe engaged in the illicit trade in the state. “Before giving its nod the government will ensure the quality of liquor and revenue to the state exchequer,” he added.

Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, Mr Sujan Singh Pathania, Mr Kuldeep Pathania and Mr Bodh Raj, MLAs were also present.

3 foreigners arrested
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 18
The police has arrested three foreigners from Nigeria and Liberia for posing as diamond merchants, wanting to strike a deal with some local people.

According to the Additional SP, Mr Varinder Kanwar, the police got a tip-off about the suspicious activities of these people. They claimed that they were dealing in gold and diamonds and wanted to invest in the hotel industry.

Two of them, Scott Johan from Nigeria and Benson Koffi from Liberia had no travel documents, including passport and visa. The third person from Nigeria, Nwosu Timothy, has a valid passport according, to which he landed at Mumbai on November 18.

All three have been arrested and booked under Sections 420, 511 and 34 of the IPC and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. The police has also contacted the High Commissioner of the Nigerian and Liberia Embassies in Delhi.

All three had been putting up at a hotel in Finagsk Estate and had visited some banks making enquiries. They told some people that their father, who had passed away, was a big diamond merchant and they were in possession of precious diamonds and gold. They were arrested last evening.

Parwanoo bridge cries for attention
Jagmeet Y. Ghuman

Parwanoo, January 18
Even as efforts were on to beautify the local multipurpose barrier, the gateway to state, the vital bridge linking state with Haryana has failed to get attention. The bridge was designed keeping in mind the high speed of vehicles crossing from the spot. However, with the setting up of multi-purpose barrier, the vehicles have to cross at a snail’s pace.

The bridge lacks equilibrium and there is always fear of loaded trucks retreating while crossing the upper portion of the bridge. The chances of accident increase as the heavy vehicles have to cross bridge at a very slow speed due to the barrier. There have been a number of accidents involving loss of human lives.

The setting up of tax collection barrier on Haryana side often lead to traffic congestion between highway stretch of two state barriers. As a result, the traffic remains blocked on the bridge on both the sides.

The locals prefer to avoid the bridge whenever heavy vehicles are crossing it.

Keeping in view the design of the bridge, it should be abandoned for traffic, feel residents of Parwanoo who have to cross the bridge daily. If the PWD cannot dismantle this bridge, it should at least close the upper portion of the bridge so that loaded trucks do not fall on the traffic using the lower portion of the bridge, they argue.

Interestingly, PWD officials feel the barrier should be shifted to other location, as the design of the bridge was technically okay. The bridge was designed keeping in mind the speed of vehicles on the national highway, pointed a top most official of the PWD NH.

Bali’s son booked
Our Correspondent

Kangra, January 18
Tension prevailed in the town yesterday following an assault on Mr Trilok Raj Sharma, a close associate of the local MLA, Mr Surender Kaku, allegedly by Raghuvir Singh Bali, a son of the Transport and Tourism Minister, Mr G.S. Bali. It is also alleged that Raghuvir Singh abused the local Beopar Mandal chief, Mr Bal Krishen Sharma. This resulted in closure of shops and business establishments for three hours.

Mr V.S. Thakur, DSP, said today that Mr Sharma had lodged a complaint that he was assaulted by Raghuvir Singh and Ajay Kumar Verma, president, District Youth Congress.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against them under Sections 341, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC.

Aged staff exempted from posting in remote areas
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 18
The government employees who have completed 52 years of age will not be posted in the tribal and remote areas, where majority of the people getting their first appointment will be asked to serve.

The decision was taken at the meeting to discuss the new transfer policy, chaired by the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, here, today.

"The new transfer policy has been formulated and will be approved by the Cabinet after discussion," he said.

He said the newly-appointed employees would be asked to serve in the tribal and difficult areas. "The employees posted here will be transferred out only after completion of the normal tenure," he said, adding that efforts will be made to ensure that there was no staff shortage in the tribal, hard and remote areas so that the pace of development does not slow down.

Mr Thakur said the interest of the employees would be safeguarded under the policy, which would replace the 25-year-old policy. He added that constructive and valuable suggestions given by various employees' associations would be incorporated in the new policy.

He said the draft of the policy had been prepared after intensive discussions with all heads of department, secretaries and various NGOs.

The minister said the government was committed to give transparent, clear and employee oriented transfer policy.

BCA course launched
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 18
The ICFAI University has launched a distance learning programme bachelor of computer applications (BCA) in view of the tremendous job opportunities being created in the growing information technology sector in the country.

A spokesman of the university, which has a centre here, said that the three-year programme had been designed to provide a strong foundation in the technical aspects of computers and their applications. The students with non-mathematics background could also join the programme but they would be required to undergo a foundation course in mathematics in the first year. The examinations would be conducted four times a year in January, April, July and October.