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Supreme Court summons estate officials
Pvt firms barred from Leh berry business
10 days gone, businessman’s murder still mystery
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Supreme Court summons estate officials
New Delhi, September 26 The court also issued a contempt notice to the Housing Secretary of West Bengal for not filing any status report on the possession of unauthorised houses by politicians and officials in the state. Eight top politicians, including two former Chief Ministers of Orissa — Mr Girdhar Gomang and Mr Hemanand Biswal — were also issued notices for occupying unauthorised government bungalows in Bhubneswar. A Bench of Mr Justice B.N. Agrawal and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar took serious note of the Estate Department of Jammu and Kashmir which was not able to furnish proper report on unauthorised possession of government houses by politicians and officials in Srinagar and Jammu and directed its officials concerned to appear in person to explain the reason. The notice of show cause for contempt was issued to the West Bengal Housing Secretary after the state counsel said despite his repeated communication to the government, he was not getting any instruction. Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, the court said various persons had been shown in the list furnished by the Estate Department as occupying the government bungalows which made the entire submission vague. The report of the state government also did not suggest as to what action had been taken to get the houses evicted and sought a fresh status report by October 31. The court took serious objection to the state government counsel trying to shift the blame to judiciary for not disposing of the cases pertaining to eviction. “We want explanation from you (government). You are passing the buck to the judges,” the Bench told state government lawyer Anis Suharawardy. It pointed out that since 1996 no proper details had been furnished about the allotment and eviction of government houses and the Estate Department was virtually sitting on the matter. Besides, Chandigarh Administration, states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were also directed to submit the status report on unauthorised possession of government houses. |
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Pvt firms barred from Leh berry business
Jammu, September 26 Berry collection in Leh district is at peak at the moment and at least 15 cooperative societies have been set up for procurement and processing of the berries. The work was being done by a private nectar manufacturing company till the last season, but the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has now decided to undertake the job to prevent exploitation of the locals. With the growing demand of the seabuck pulp for medicinal and cosmetic industry, the berries have become another source of income for the tribals. Leh has emerged as a major producer of seabuck pulp. The crop is totally organic that has put the product on an advantageous position. Not only the pulp extracted out of the berries will fetch a fabulous price in the market, but its residue is also in demand by the cosmetic industry and herbal drug manufacturers. Its leaves are utilised for making tea and fodder. The LAHDC has come forward to exploit the plant to earn a considerable amount out of its products and also share the earnings with the nearly 600 persons who are engaged in collecting the berries. The berry collectors were paid a remuneration of Rs 32.85 lakh last year when the LAHDC-backed cooperative society earned Rs 79.65 lakh out of which Rs 28.78 was its own profit. About 118 metric tonnes of pulp was sold to a Delhi company. This year's target of manufacturing pulp has been fixed at 150 metric tonnes, said Mr Tsring Dorje, chairman of the LAHDC. In 2004, the Leh-based cooperative society manufactured 75 metric tonnes of pulp and earned a profit of Rs10 lakh. Within three years, the collection is expected to touch 150 metric tonnes during the current season. Mr Tadbar Joldan, Deputy Registrar of the cooperatives at Leh, said 15 village-level cooperatives, self-help groups and panchayats were involved in collection of berries. Pulping units had been set up as cooperatives in Shay village in the Leh block and Surmoor and Hunder in the Nubra block. Berry collection would last about 20 days. Mr Joldan said the pulp was last year sold at the rate of Rs 67.50 per kg, while the berry collectors were being paid Rs15 for per kg. The resedue after pulping the berries fetches Rs 26 per Kg .
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10 days gone, businessman’s murder still mystery
Jammu, September 26 The police had detained some business partners of the slain businessman, R.B. Chopra, for questioning, but failed to find any clue. The incident has exposed the police set up here. For the past some time it was being felt that the police functioning in the city had deteriorated. Security experts point out that with the political and police patronage to various mafias operating here, gang wars might be seen on the streets. There has not been any major reshuffle of the police officials at the district level while it is musical chairs for the SHOs who are being transferred from one police station to another. Although the state Cabinet had decided to transfer the murder case to the CBI, steps are yet to be taken in this direction. This is not the only murder case that is yet to be solved. Seventeen murder cases still remain unsolved.
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