 |
|
|
IT revolution eludes Himachal
BJP workers come to blows; rough up senior leaders
3 schools run by BBMB without principals
Munir admits hand in paper leak case
20 hurt in bus accident
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
IT revolution eludes Himachal
Shimla, September 28 Himachal Pradesh was one of the states which took lead in setting up a separate department of IT and framing a policy in this regard. But all this did not help in attracting the industry. The state government has won a number of awards for pioneering work in e-governance but is lagging as far as the IT industry is concerned because of some drawbacks like shortage of manpower and deficient infrastructure. A study conducted by the NASSCOM had found the state wanting in four of the 13 parameters. Lack of rail and air connectivity, readymade infrastructure like buildings and less population were the main hurdles which held back big players like Dell, Infosys and Wipro. The BPO companies, which require huge manpower, maintain that the state did not have adequate number of candidates from which they could make selections. The government has now decided to set up a series of software technology parks across the state and introduce training in degree colleges to enhance the skills of students. In the first phase three parks will be set up at Waknaghat and Nalagarh in Solan and Raja ka Bagh in Kangra district. The IT Department has already invited expression of interests (EoI) from private parties for setting up parks. A final decision in the matter will be taken up over the next two months. The objective is to make the state an ideal IT destination for small enterprises. The strategy is to overcome the numerical disadvantage of low population by improving the quality of manpower, says Mr Sanjiv Gupta, Secretary, IT Department. Another factor which could boost IT in the state is that the Software Technology Parks Scheme of the Centre under which various incentives are provided to the industry will expire in March 2009. However, in Himachal Pradesh incentives like income tax exemption will be available for 10 years to industries which come up by 2012. Further, unlike SEZ, incentives are available in the state for domestic services also. The plan is to generate export revenues to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore by 2010. He said recently some big companies, including SixthSense.com, Instablog, Sarswati.com and Altruist.com, have set up units in the software technology park here.
|
|
BJP workers come to blows; rough up senior leaders
Shimla, September 28 Party leaders and workers gave vent to their anger in the presence of Mr Kohli who had specially come here to settle the grievances received from various parts of the state. He had specially summoned the DROs of Kulu, Shimla, Bilaspur, Solan and Una districts from where he had received complaints regarding appointment of Assistant Returning Officers (AROs). Party workers raised slogans against Mr Suresh Bhardwaj who has come in for a lot of criticism over the issue of appointment of AROs and DROs for holding of the party poll. The State Returning Officer, Mr Ashok Sood, was also roughed up by workers. It was Dr Srikant, district BJP chief of Solan and DRO for Shimla, who was badly roughed up by agitated workers who accused him of behaving in a partisan manner. However, senior leaders intervened and tried to stop the workers from manhandling Dr Srikant. Mr Kohli, who returned to Delhi today, is likely to discuss the issue with senior party leaders, including the BJP chief, Mr Rajnath Singh, and submit his report. With the situation as far as organisational elections are concerned turning so ugly right at the booth level, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, party in charge for Himachal, is likely to visit the state to sort out matters. Besides Mr Kohli and Mr Bhardwaj, Mr Mohinder Pandey, state organising secretary, Dr Rajiv Bindal, MLA and state BJP spokesperson, and Mr Satpal Satti, MLA and DRO for Kulu district, were also present at the meeting. Dr Bindal also registered his grouse and said that the district BJP chief of Solan had been ignoring genuine party workers. “It is our internal party matter and we have brought this to the notice of Mr Kohli and we are confident he will resolve it,” said Dr Bindal. Some party workers met Mr Kohli with complaints against Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah. There has been widespread resentment amongst party men, including MLAs and senior leaders, over the issue of appointment of AROs and DROs. A former MP, Mr Maheshwar Singh, and his younger brother, Mr Karan Singh, former Education Minister, had resigned from the party in protest against appointment of election observers.
|
|
3 schools run by BBMB without principals
Mandi, September 28 The lecturers complained that the BBMB follows scales on the pattern of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), but their pleas to implement the same have not been accepted. “No wonder none of three BBMB schools have regular principals as nobody is willing to join as they are getting equivalent scales. This has hit management and teaching work in schools”. Though the BBMB chairman is competent under official notification BBMB ‘43’ of June 23, 1992 to remove discrepancy in employees’ pay scales, but files relating to the case are never brought to his notice in the board, the teachers complained. The lecturers said those who had put in eight years of service were eligible for time-bound promotion and pay scale and two increments. “Some lecturers have put in 18 years of services, but have been denied the benefit of the pay scale equivalent to the other employees in the BBMB and the PSEB, they rued. They charged the BBMB management with ignoring their demands as the board was promoting the interests of the technocrats. “We are entitled for Rs 7000-Rs 11750 scale and the time-bound promotional scale after nine-16 years in service and two increments of Rs 200 each. But the BBMB has given a damn to our woes so far”, they complained. On the other, the PSEB has never bothered about us as it has no school under its jurisdiction, pointed out lecturers. “The BBMB has employed us and school children are suffering as teachers are not getting rightful salaries as their counterparts in other Punjab government departments get”. The BBMB Member, Irrigation, who is in charge of schools Mr Anil Arora when contacted said he would not be able to comment as he was busy in a meeting. Chief Engineer BBMB DP Goel did not respond despite several attempts. |
|
Munir admits hand in paper leak case
Shimla, September 28 Munir Alam, who was arrested by the local police from Tara Devi, two days back has confessed that he was directly in touch with those parents of candidates who brought the question paper from Lucknow and those who tutored the students. It was on the basis of evidence, including telephonic conversation that Munir had with the parents of candidates, that the police interrogated him. He too confirmed that Adarsh and Ram Bahadur had brought the question paper from the printing press in Lucknow. Adarsh, also wanted in Punjab PMT leak case had been arrested by the Punjab police and is presently in the custody of the Himachal police. Munir Alam, a resident of Gopalganj in Bihar had been posted in Shimla as a Central Government employee when he came in contact with those involved in the question paper leak. He not only found parents willing to pay for ensuring a seat in the medical college but also arranged tuition of their children at places like Dehra Dun and Delhi. |
|
20 hurt in bus accident
Palampur, September 28 The ill-fated bus was on its way from Palampur to Sujanpur when the accident took place. Two of the seriously injured persons were in critical condition.
— PTI |
|
| 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 | |
