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BJP connived with CBI to frame me: Thind
“Govt shielding corrupt officials”
MC to seek changes in retention policy
No flight of industry from Punjab, claims HP minister
Uniform school exam pattern on the anvil
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Govt eyes global
players in education
Yoga in schools from next year
Forest staff resent merger
7 IAS officers shifted
Rice mill claims woman’s life
Fined for selling contaminated water
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BJP connived with CBI to frame me: Thind
Chandigarh, November 30 They were now issuing “irresponsible statements” regarding a letter alleged to have been written by him as he had undertaken inquiries and registered cases against ‘influential’ politicians and officials of the state government. The ADGP denied he had asked his son to meet “any godfather in Dharamsala” as alleged in the letter. He said a copy of the letter, leaked to the press, should be shown to him too. He was reacting to news reports appearing in the media regarding the BJP’s stand of asking the state Chief Minster to clarify as to who was this “godfather” mentioned in the litter. Thind said “some BJP leaders seem to be suffering from Thind phobia”. He said the BJP had gone on a witch hunt during their rule between 1998 and 2003. “They started departmental inquiries and registered a criminal case during my tenure as Managing Director of Agro-Packaging. In a case filed by me, the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chandigarh in an interim in 2002 bench upheld that the charges against the BJP and the bureaucracy, prima facie were correct. Referring to the idol theft case at Kamrooh temple, he said the BJP was quick to ask for an explanation from him. But when it realised that the fault was that of DGP Ashwani Kumar, the matter was dropped”. He refuted the allegations of the state government shielding him in a case filed by the Punjab Police. The officer said he was away to the UK when the investigating officer summoned him and the warrants for his appearance were cancelled only after he explained the reasons for his absence. He said the team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not come to arrest him in Shimla and he was not “missing” as alleged by the BJP leaders. Blaming the premier investigating agency for violating the rules laid down by the Supreme Court while arresting him, Mr Thind said he received a message from the CBI’s Superintendent of Police regarding certain clarifications. “I went to give the same to them in their office in Chandigarh on October 27. I was arrested against the rules”. |
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“Govt shielding corrupt officials”
Nurpur, November 30 Lashing out at the Chief Minister, state BJP co-media in charge Rajinder Rana, in a statement released here today, ridiculed the statement of Mr Virbhadra Singh that former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal first clarify who was the “godfather” of convicted former Chairman of the Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB) S.M. Katwal before raking up the Thind episode. He said the Chief Minister should disclose why the Chairman of the SSSB, Mr Tashi, resigned recently from the post and who were the leaders of the Congress who rung up former Chairman Katwal for seeking favours to accommodate their candidates in government jobs during the previous BJP regime. "The Chief Minister should also clarify who was the “godfather” of former DIG Thind who had written a letter to his son to appeal to his “godfather” at Dharamsala to approach the Union Home Ministry to help him," he added.
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MC to seek changes in retention policy
Shimla, November 30 The decision was taken at the monthly meeting of the House here today. While appreciating the decision of the government to regularise a large number of constructions under the retention policy, removal of certain shortcomings would be taken up. The councillors pointed out that in case of a ban on constructions above 1.5 metres on the valley side, a skyline should be maintained. “If constructions higher than 1.5 metres have come up in the area then others should be allowed to raise their structures up to that level so that there is a skyline,” pointed out a councillor. Another issue discussed by the House was with regard to a ban on the number of storeys in the core area of the town. The members pointed out that house owners whose old building plans with six or more storeys had been approved earlier should be allowed to make addition or alteration. |
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No flight of industry from Punjab, claims HP minister
Chandigarh, November 30 Joining the issue with the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the minister challenged the Punjab Government to prove the shifting of even a single unit from Punjab to
Himachal. The Punjab Government, it seemed, was raising the bogey with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections in the state, Mr Kuldeep Kumar told The Tribune here today. Quoting
statistics, the minister said the hill state had attracted an investment of about Rs 20,000 crore after the announcement of the special package and almost all industries were new industrial
ventures. And according to official reports, Punjab had attracted mega projects worth over Rs 88,000 crore during the past about five years without any special package, he asserted.
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Uniform school exam pattern on the anvil
Shimla, November 30 He said final examination in winter-closing schools would be conducted in December every year before the declaration of winter vacation and in summer-closing schools at the closure of the academic session in March. The system would help the students in maintaining momentum in studies. He said the endeavour of the government was to spread the educational network in tribal areas. The literacy rate had increased by 17.23 per cent from 53.15 per cent in 1991 to 70.38 per cent in 2001. Hostels for tribals were being constructed all over the state by spending Rs. 8.13 crore at Himachal Pradesh University, Rajkiya Kanya Maha
Vidyalya, Shimla, Govt. Degree Colleges, Solan, and Dharamshala. As many as 53 new schools, including one degree college, were also opened. The Chief Minister directed the authorities to speed up work on the Bhawa-Mudh road which on completion would reduce the distance between both the destinations by about 100
kms. It will help boost tourism in Pin valley. He said the government had earmarked Rs. 389.51 crore for the development of the tribal areas of the state during the current financial year. |
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Govt eyes global
players in education
Shimla, November 30 This was stated by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while interacting with Mr Bruno Lafunt, Global Chief Executive Officer of international cement giant Lafarge, who met him along with Mr Guillaume Rox, Group Executive Vice-President, and Mr Uday Khanna, Chief Executive Officer (India), here today. The company has been allotted a cement plant in Mandi district recently. The Chief Minister said the government wanted the multinational companies to invest in the state and proposals received from them were being processed on top priority. He said the state was keen to have global partners in education who were capable of imparting quality education in emerging disciplines and contribute significantly towards making Himachal Pradesh the education hub of the country. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state had banned the polluting industries and it was taking all precautions while allotting cement projects to exploit the limestone reserves for the benefit of the state. Cement plants were being permitted at locations where displacement of the habitations was negligible and they were not a threat to environment.
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Yoga in schools from next year
Dharamsala, November 30 Yoga education will be an elective subject, along with physical education and information technology. The board has approved the syllabus for the subject and intimation has been sent to the Director, Education, for further communication to heads of government schools. The board Chairman, Mr B.R. Rahi, told The Tribune that the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had made an announcement to introduce yoga education in schools during a visit of yoga guru Swami Ramdev to Hamirpur earlier this year. After the proposal was approved by the board, the syllabus was prepared by experts appointed by the board. "Even though Swami Ramdev had offered to depute a couple of his assistants to provide yoga training to our teachers, we later found that 25 government schools in the state already had yoga-trained teachers as part of the staff," he said. "Till now, the board offered only two options of physical education and information technology in plus one and plus two. Yoga could also be taken up as a source of livelihood in case students plan to go into teaching yoga after passing out," he said. "There are already many yoga and meditation centres doing brisk business in the area. Schools are the right place where students can take up yoga lessons to control rising stress levels. It will also go a long way in tackling callousness, indiscipline and lack of focus. The decision of the board to introduce yoga education was endorsed at a meeting of intellectuals held in Dharamsala earlier this week," he said. The board has decided to set up 1,420 examination centres for the forthcoming annual examinations for classes VIII, X, plus one and plus two. The case of 130 private and 11 government schools which had been barred by the board from award of examination centres has not been reviewed and these schools do not figure in the new list. The Principal of a government school said the Central Government had for long been considering to introduce yoga education in schools as the school was the most appropriate place where systematic education in yoga could be imparted.
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Forest staff resent merger
Shimla, November 30 Mr Kishori Lal Sharma, president of the federation, alleged that the decision was a contravention of the 74th constitutional amendment under which the municipality was empowered to exercise its administrative control. He said it was most unfortunate that the government transferred the forest wing along with its staff without seeking any option. More than seven months had since passed and no terms and conditions of the staff had been fixed. The employees who retired after April 18, 2006, or who were on the verge of retirement were in the doldrums as they could not get pension and other benefits. Mr Sharma said the employees had been transferred to the department but so far no CPF or GPF was being deducted from their salaries since April last. It was a matter of grave concern. Mr Sharma warned the government of serious consequences in case it failed to review its decision to transfer the corporation forest wing or fix the terms and conditions for the transferred employees within 15 days. |
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7 IAS officers shifted
Shimla, November 30 Mr Ajay Bhandari, member (administration) in the state electricity board, has been posted as the MD, the State SC and ST Development Corporation, vice Mr
K.S. Narang, who takes over as the Divisional Commissioner, Shimla. Mr Devesh Kumar, Director Lotteries, has been given additional charge of the member secretary, state Council of Science and Technology.
— TNS |
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Rice mill claims woman’s life
Kangra November 30 Vandna, a resident of Sahoura village, had gone to a rice mill in the village along with her sister-in-law Champa for thrashing the paddy. Her dupatta got trapped in the belt of the rice mill. He fell and was beheaded on the spot. The woman had two children. Her body has been sent for the post-mortem examination to Dr. R.P. Govt. Medical College Hospital, Dharamsala. Sunil Kumar Chaudary, the husband of the victim, is running a small shop in the village. A large number of people from nearby villages rushed to the spot after the news of the tragic death spread. The police has started investigations.
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Fined for selling contaminated water
Shimla, November 30 The order was passed by Mr V.K. Sharma, President of the forum, on a complaint filed by Mr Bali wherein he alleged that he purchased six bottles of mineral water of “Amrit” brand from railway canteen at Shimla for consumption by his friends. It is further averred that when he and his friends were having lunch and one of the mineral water bottles was opened for consumption, a greenish looking foreign matter was found inside it. On scrutiny, some fungus could be seen by a naked eye. Even public analyst report found that the drinking water was not fit for human consumption. |
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Shopkeeper commits suicide
Reckong Peo, November 30 Sources said the man who committed suicide was in his late twenties. He had been identified as Mohinder Singh. He was running a shop of electronic items, cassettes and CD's.
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