 |
|
|
Varsity opposes tie-up with bioresource institute
4.33-cr project for tribal uplift
Concern over falling sex ratio in Kangra
Officials of Industries Dept exposed in mining scam
Ministers refute Dhumal’s charge
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Scribe dies as car rolls into gorge
Debris dumping poses threat to bridge
Youth BJP leader assaulted
Cops upset
over phone bills
Anticipatory bail plea rejected
HRTC e-governance centre opened
|
|
Varsity opposes tie-up with bioresource institute
Palampur, June 21 The HPU, the only university in Himachal Pradesh, has shown no inclination to sign a MoU with the institute in this regard despite repeated requests by the
IHBT. Consequently, no students from the state can take up the Ph.D programme at the
IHBT. The only route for them is to seek enrolment through some other university. Sources said that the institute has been sending communications to the HPU in this regard, but the university authorities have not cared to respond. So while the institute forged new academic links with Punjabi University, Patiala and Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, the HPU still does not figure on the list of such academic collaborations. The IHBT has also been recognised as a centre for Ph.D research by Panjab University, Chandigarh, and the MoU with Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, has been revalidated for another five years. Dr P.S. Ahuja, Director,
IHBT, confirmed that even though they were open to having a similar MoU with the HPU so that students from the state could also take benefit of the research work and the sophisticated infrastructure on its campus but the university has shown no inclination in this regard. Despite repeated attempts, the Vice-Chancellor of the HPU could not be contacted for comment. He said that five M.Sc and seven Ph.Ds were awarded in the past one year by the institute and training was also given to 15 graduates and 26 post-graduates in various fields. The institute also organised a number of training programmes in areas of processing of medicine and aromatic plants, floriculture and tissue culture for enhanced income generation. Awareness was created in the area of intellectual property rights through workshops. “It is sad that students from the same state cannot take up research at the institute, which is in the same league as NIPER and CSIO in Chandigarh and has done some pioneering research in biotechnology. A MoU is important because the candidate needs to have one guide from the university and one from the institute to take up the Ph.D programme,” said a senior professor at HPU on condition of anonymity. The IHBT provides research and development services on economic bioresources in the western Himalayan region. Its areas of research include biodiversity, natural plants and products, biotechnology, tea science and floriculture.
|
|
4.33-cr project for tribal uplift
Reckong Peo, June 21 She was on one-day tour of the district headquarters of this tribal district to launch the ICD project, inaugurate a NGO bhavan and preside over a meeting of the officials of the district administration. After inaugurating the NGO bhavan and launching of the ICD project she also handed over a bank draft of Rs 1.08 crore to general manager of the project to start work on the strengthening of the infrastructure of the cooperative societies at the grassroots level. The MP said that the project would be implemented in next three years and it would strengthen infrastructure and economy of cooperative societies. Under this project, Rs 1.37 crore would be given to 35 societies at the village level, and provide Rs 24.75 lakh to nine consumer store houses in the next three years. Apart from this, Rs 15 lakh would be distributed among 22 weavers’ societies, Rs 1.34 crore to Kinfed and a few other marketing societies and Rs 40 lakh to the cooperative bank through the ICD project, said Ms Pratibha Singh. She desired proper training for employees working under the project and employees of the cooperative societies for effective functioning of the cooperative societies. Mr Jagat Singh Negi local MLA, who was also present on the occasion said that the ICD project would help strengthen the cooperative movement at the grassroots level in the tribal belt of Kinnaur. Mr R.D. Dhiman Registrar of the Cooperative Societies, Mr Sher Singh, Chairman Kinfed and senior officials of the district administration were present on the occasion. Later, the MP also presided over a meeting of the officials of the district administration, details of which were not provided to the media.
|
|
Concern over falling sex ratio in Kangra
Dharamsala, June 21 Talking to The Tribune, Ms Rath said the decline of 103 points in the sex ratio to 836 girls for every 1000 boys between 1991 to 2001 was the highest in country. A team of the National Empowerment and Monitoring Committee, which visited the area last year, did take action against a couple of unauthorised centres using the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) but the health department still needed to do a lot to ensure that the practice of sex determination tests was curbed. In separate surveys conducted by the Health Department, between April 2005 and January 2006, the sex ratio has improved in Bhawarna block, from 850 girls per 1000 boys to 911 girls per 1000 boys. In Thural, from 738 girls per 1000 boys, the ratio has gone up to 966 girls per 1000 boys. A similar survey conducted in Nurpur revealed that there were 895 girls for every 1000 boys within the city limits. “It is very important to crack down on unauthorised clinics conducting sex determination tests as the practice can have far-reaching consequences. A Haryana-like situation may not emerge wherein girls may have to be called from outside,” she said. Ms Rath further said that one mobile medical unit would be given to each district in Himachal Pradesh, which would be equipped with all the diagnostic facilities like ultrasound and X-ray. The objective is to provide health services to people living in far-flung areas of the state where proper hospital services are not available. Ms Rath was in Dharamsala to monitor the activities under the Indian Public Health Standards under the National Rural Health Mission.
|
|
Officials of Industries Dept exposed in mining scam
Reckong Peo, June 21 Preliminary investigations had revealed that senior officials of the
Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation Limited, its allied companies and three local persons were also involved in the scam. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kalpa, Captain Raman Sharma, had already sealed the mining sites and summoned relevant records for further investigations into the matter. It may be mentioned that sand and crushed stone worth millions of rupees extracted from the river bed of Sutlej was being illegally sold in the open market even after the expiry of the mining lease period. As per the details available, the government had on July 20, 1992, reserved a quarry near Tapri for the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation Limited to extract stones and sand from the river bed of Sutlej for its own construction work as per the Himachal Pradesh Minor Minerals (Concession) Revised Rules-1971. Contrary to rules, this power corporation sub-leased this site to Continental Foundation, one of its allied companies that was against the mining rules. This allied company established a stone crusher in the area on August 11, 1997. However, it continued supplying construction material, particularly sand to the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation Limited from December 1993 onwards, which was even before the stone crusher was established by it. The construction work on Nathpa-Jhakri Power Project was completed on October 22, 2004. On November 1, 2004, the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation Limited informed the state government through proper channel that they had stopped quarrying from the river bed. Subsequently, the lease period of quarrying from this date was deemed to have been expired automatically. However, the allied company hand-in-gloves with the senior officials of the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation Limited and the industries/mining department continued quarrying construction material even after the completion of the construction work on the power project. On one occasion, when the matter was raised with the mining department by some local people, the allied company removed the crusher from the site but again sub-leased to three local people, the rights to lift the already prepared crushed stones and sand. According to an estimate, the Continental Foundation and these three people who were sub-leased the rights sold construction material illegally extracted from the river bed of Sutlej worth at least Rs eight million during the years— 2004, 2005 and 2006. Illegal mining in this area was also compounded many times before the magisterial probe had begun with a fine of Rs five thousand on each time of compounding.
|
|
Ministers refute Dhumal’s charge
Shimla, June 21 The ministers asserted that contrary to the charges, the Congress government had launched a crusade against corruption and various mafias the activities of which were at peak during the BJP regime. They reminded Mr Dhumal that it was during his government that the forest, mining, land, liquor, job and transfer mafias enjoyed full protection and patronage. Drawing attention towards rampant corruption during the BJP government, the ministers said that various selection agencies had become dens of corruption and mass-scale irregularities were committed in appointments in various boards, corporations and universities.
|
|
Scribe dies as car rolls into gorge
Sundernagar, June 21 One of the deceased was identified as Vikas Panwar, a staff correspondent of Hindustan Times who was recently posted at Chandigarh, and the other deceased was identified as Pawan from Chopal. As per information, the car went out of control and fell into a ditch by the side of river Beas around 6 pm yesterday. The members of marriage party with the help of local residents took the victims out of the vehicle. The district press club Mandi held a condolence meeting at Mandi which was attended by mediapersons. In another accident, four persons were injured when a speeding truck hit an Alto car near BBMB reservoir here during night hours. Three of them were admitted in Civil Hospital Sundernagar and one was referred to PGI, Chandigarh, in serious conditions.
|
|
|
Debris dumping poses threat to bridge Parwanoo, June 21 HIMUDA which had auctioned industrial plots some time ago, is now clearing land development. The work was entrusted to a contractor who unmindful of the damage being caused to the bridge, was dumping debris along the bridge. A visit to the site revealed that huge machinery and three small trucks had been stationed there for removing rubble. With little repair work and cracks appearing in one of its pillars the bridge could hardly withstand excessive load. Residents of Khreen and Kamli villages told The Tribune that the callous attitude of HIMUDA was now costing them dear as the rainy season had set in. With one side of the bridge having been blocked by the debris the speeding water would damage the bridge in case of a heavy downpour. Around 500 persons residing downstream would face the maximum onslaught of the damage. The rainy season had already set in with a few showers having been received in the recent days. Villagers recall that on an earlier occasion their fields with standing crops of tomatoes and off-season vegetables were washed away in the heavy downpour. Being an agrarian economy the villagers are dependent on their agriculture produce. Ajmer Singh, a villager said, “their crops of maize is ready to be harvested, while ginger, rice, maize and ladyfinger has been sown. This debris has threatened the existence of their fields”. A team of policemen and PWD officials who visited the site after receiving complaints, got the work stopped. The SDO, PWD, Mr S.N. Sharma, said he had served a notice to the HIMUDA contractor for damaging public property. He would be given a 15 days time to remove the debris. The Executive Engineer, HIMUDA, Mr Umesh Sharma, said a notice would also be issued to the contractor to remove the debris within 15 days by HIMUDA. He said the debris had threatened their water pumping station lying downstream.
|
|
Youth BJP leader assaulted
Kumarhatti, June 21 Sanjay Kumar, a former vice-president of the Barog panchayat, was waiting for his friend in the Barog market at around 10 pm. Ratan Singh, who was consuming liquor in a nearby dhaba started using abusive language against Sanjay Kumar. He was gheraoed by Ratan Singh and his five sons. They started beating up Sanjay Kumar. Sanjay was rescued by his friend. Before fleeing the assailants allegedly snatched a mobile phone set, a wrist-watch and some other valuables from Sanjay Kumar. A case under Sections 147, 149, 323 and 506, IPC, has been registered against Ratan Singh and his sons, Shashi Pal, Dalip, Leela Dutt, Rakesh Kumar and Rinku.
|
|
|
Cops upset over phone bills Parwanoo, June 21 The big gap in budget and actual cost has left police force fuming. Investigations show that bills for two months range between Rs. 3000 to 7000 as against the budget of Rs. 1700 to 2500. The phone budget depended on the location of police stations. The police stations on national highway get Rs 2500. The rest has budget provision of less than Rs. 2000. No STD facilities are provided at any police station .To avail this facility one has to go outside or book a trunck call. “Every time we have to contribute Rs. 200 to meet the deficit of around Rs. 4500 from out pockets, pointed out a police officer at Dharampur police station on the condition of anonymity. “Being situated on national highway we have to use phone regularly for communication, he rued. Denying any personal use of the phone by the police staff, he said all had their cellphone so there was no question of using official phone. Similar views were echoed by the staff at Nalagarh, Barotiwala and Kassauli police stations.
|
|
Anticipatory bail plea rejected
Shimla, June 21 Mr Justice Deepak Gupta while rejecting the bail application observed that the investigations were at a preliminary stage. According to the prosecution, the three labour leaders while coming out after having a meeting with the management of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) were allegedly attacked by employees of the company. It was alleged that the deceased were beaten up with iron rods by a group working with the company and thrown into the Ravi.
|
|
HRTC e-governance centre opened
Shimla, June 21 Mr Bali said the project would enable computerisation of driving licences through a software called “saarthi” and registration of vehicles, issuance of permits, fitness certificates and enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act, effectively. Two Regional Transport Offices, one state transport office and eight RLA offices in Kangra had been computerised.
|
|
4 arrested for roaming
suspiciously Parwanoo, June 21 They were employed with local units. Pawan Kumar hailed from Kamlog village in nearby Pratha panchayat while Rakesh belonged to Tipra village. Ashwani Kumar from Aani and Suman Kumar from a village near Jawala Mukhi were nabbed at Billanwali village by the police at around 1.30 am. A case has been registered.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
