Solan, June 21
Accusing the vice-chancellor of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, of having accrued undue pecuniary benefits to a private limited company in lieu of purchase of old machinery from it, state vice-president of the BJP and local MLA Rajiv Bindal today demanded his immediate resignation.

Presenting documentary evidence of the deal to mediapersons here today, Bindal said since VC Jagmohan Chauhan himself was the director of the firm, Rajgarh Cooperative Canneries Private Limited (RCCPL), it had become clear that the purchase worth Rs 1,76,131 had been made to benefit himself. He demanded an independent inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the issue. Since he had been exposed, the state government should take an immediately action in the case, he added.

He said it was even alarming to note that the purchase was made by head and professor, Department of Post Harvest Technology, S.P.S. Guleria, who was involved in the unchecked answersheets case. He alleged, “It has now become clear why no action was taken against Guleria for serious irregularities in the unchecked answersheets case.”

He alleged, “The said firm was shown to be existing in the Haloni Pul area of Rajgarh, whereas it had ceased to exist and even its chairman and secretary had died. The place was very close to the VC’s village. Moreover, the phone numbers displayed by the firm on its list of members had seized to exist. Intriguingly, the receipt of Rs 1,76,131 was received on a plain paper by firm’s president Pradeep Kaul, while the firm was shown to have no president.”

Hamirpur, June 21
Regional transport officer (RTO) of Hamirpur R.C. Thakur is fearing for his life as the police has failed to take action against the culprit who has attacked the officer many times in the past, besides having made an attempt on the RTO's life recently.

On June 10 the accused tried to crush twice the vehicle in which the RTO was checking vehicles along with his staff, including his PSO provided by the district police, under his bus and later managed to flee.

Though the police has booked Naresh Kumar, a private bus operator, in the past and recently under section 307, IPC, for attempt to murder, the police has not been able to arrest him even after over a week.

The main grudge of the accused against the RTO is that the officer tried to put a check on the alleged illegal operation of buses run by Naresh Kumar in and around Hamirpur.

The RTO impounded four such buses and also made Naresh Kumar pay a fine of Rs 1.60 lakhs while Rs 2.65 lakh was yet to be recovered.

Peeved at the police inaction Thakur has decided to take up the matter with the Chief Minister, home secretary and the HAS Officers Association.

Hamirpur DSP K.G. Kapoor said: "We have registered cases against the culprit and launched a manhunt to nab him."

Chandigarh, June 21
One of the injured in last evening’s Dharamsala bus accident succumbed to her injuries at the PGI, here, today.

The deceased has been identified as Barkha Nijhawan, a resident of New Delhi. Six seriously injured passengers were referred to the PGI by the hospital authorities at Dharamsala. The condition of two others is stated to be critical.

The injured who were brought at the emergency of the PGI early in the morning included Barkha Nijhawan, her son Akshay Nijhawan, her niece Bhawana along with three other passengers from the same locality of Subahsh Nagar at New Delhi. These include Anju Mahajan, Amar Singh, and Kanta Tiwari.

The condition of Akshay and Kanta Tiwari who suffered head injuries is critical while others who also suffered multiple fractures are stable, said doctors. The 35-year-old Barkha succumbed to her injuries as soon as she was brought here, said a ward boy. The doctors declared her brought dead afterwards.

The husband of Barkha, who accompanied his family in the bus, was also injured and admitted at a hospital in Dharamsala, informed Ajay Rawal one of the relatives of the family who reached here from Delhi.

“The son of my elder brother is still missing as I could not get any information about him from Dharamsala,” said Rawal. The 11-year-old Rawal was accompanying his aunt Barkha and her family who were on the way to the Vaishno Devi shrine after visiting Dharamsala, said Rawal.

Other relatives of the family, including Baldev, Manu, and Jatin Ahuja, were also injured in the accident and admitted in various hospitals at Dharamsala, said Rawal.

The Nijhawans have a joint famly and one or the othrer brother visit the religious places during summer vacations with the family and this time Surinder who has a photostat shop in Delhi left for the pilgrimage with his family along with many others from Subahsh Nagar, he added.

Shimla, June 21
While asserting that development projects will not be allowed to come up at the cost of environment, the Himachal government said today that it would implement tourism ventures in different areas, including the Ski Village project for Kullu district, Chanshal skiing project in Shimla and Buddhist tourist circuits in Kangra-Chamba-Mandi-Bilaspur.

Reacting to the views of famous environmentalists and crusader of the Chipko Andolan Sunder Lal Bahuguna regarding protection of the Himalayan region, an official spokesman said the government was committed to protecting and saving the fragile ecology of the Himalayas and it had taken effective steps like imposition of a ban on green felling.

The state had emerged as a pioneer state for the protection and preservation of forest wealth.

He said the state had about Rs 100,000 crore of forest wealth and people derived direct benefits to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore every year out of it.

Coming to the Ski village he said the state would get Rs 10 crore revenue from the project ambitious project in Kullu district in the first year which would increase to about Rs 100 crore by 2013-14.

It would create 3500 jobs of which 70 per cent would go to Himachalis.

Besides, a vocational training institute would be set up at Manali by the project authority to provide training to the youth in adventure sports activities and hospitality. Ski training was being imparted to the local youth and 77 youths were being trained abroad.

The implementation agreement was signed on June 5, 2006, while the detailed project report was handed over to the state government on March 3, 2007.

The project authority would invest $135 million (Rs 553.50 crore) in five years.

In all Rs. 1581.10 crore would be invested in the initial five years. The project would not only boost tourism but also put the state on the world winter sports map.

Shimla, June 21
With traffic congestion and restricted mobility being one of the major problems in the state capital, the government will implement a city mobility plan (CMP) involving short-term measures aimed at improving connectivity and alternative transport system.

With ropeways and tunnels being long-term measures involving huge funds, the government will install elevators at certain pressure areas. Besides, there is a proposal to have pedestrian path along the entire stretch of the cart road that is as good as the lifeline of the town. Seeing the traffic rush and certain narrow points, it has become imperative to have pedestrian paths along the entire stretch.

Another core issue that will form part of the CMP is to explore the possibility of alternative routes linking the existing bypass with the cart road. “Despite the fact that major forest area would have to be sacrificed to create alternative routes and fill these missing links, the need to link the bypass with the cart road is being felt,” said a senior official.

In order to ease out congestion on the cart road, there is a proposal to have a separate bus stand for places like Jubbal, Rohru, Kotkhai and Kotgarh in upper parts of Shimla at Batta Kuffar. The work would be undertaken on a war footing.

Although a detailed transport plan forms part of the city development plan (CDP) under which the government would be receiving funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a separate CMP has been prepared to complete the short-term measures. “The CDP is perspective for the capital town till 2021. However, since the period of the JNNURM is only up to 2011-12, we have to push through short-term measures,” said an official.

The government will initiate work on at least one of the bypasses that will come up between the existing bypass and the one that will link Maili-Shoghi-Panthaghatti-Tutikandi. A tunnel that will form the main link for the state secretariat is proposed between Bemloe and Malana. This will reduce pressure on the main cart road and even the bypass to a great extent, especially during peak hours.

Nurpur, June 21
Students in the area seem reluctant to take admission to Arya Government College here thanks to the apathy of the state government that had allegedly failed to add any new faculty ever since the college was taken over by the government in 2002.

Yesterday was the last day for admissions in government colleges. Only 40 students had enrolled for BAI at this college till the closing of admissions. Around 400 students had been enrolled for the same class during the last academic session.

The government had promised sanctioning of commerce faculty from the coming session, but no notification has been issued by it so far. Two posts in the humanities faculty have also been lying vacant for the past few years.

Only six subjects, English, Hindi, Sanskrit, history, economics and political science are being taught in the college. Staff shortage and limited choice of subjects are keeping students at bay from this college.

Various colleges in the state were earmarked Rs 5 crore for their buildings, but this college was neglected even on that front. There is a demand to start full-fledged faculties of commerce and humanities from the current academic session.

Meanwhile, the ongoing construction of the science block at the college is likely to be completed in September. It is learnt that the Department of Information and Technology has recently sanctioned a computer laboratory for the college.

Dharamsala/Nurpur, June 21
A man and his three children went missing while one person was drowned when the boat in which they were travelling capsized in the deep waters of the Pong Dam, near Dhameta village in Jawali subdivision of Kangra district, late this evening.

Kangra ASP Santosh Patial said the boat was reportedly ferrying nine members of a family, all residents of Kuthera village. They were returning after participating in a religious mela of “Mahu Peer”.

The boat, which was probably overloaded, lost balance and capsized. Four members of the family, including three children, were rescued by a group of local youths.

However, one person, who was breathing at the time of rescue, died minutes after he was taken out from water.

As per preliminary reports, at least four persons were still missing, the ASP said.

The DSP, Dehra subdivision, rushed to the spot to monitor the rescue operation. The rescue team comprises experts of the regional water sports centre.

The rescue operation was still in progress at the time of filing of the report.

McLeodganj, June 21
A painting exhibition of two young Tibetan women artists is going on in the main museum of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The paintings focus on the plight of Tibetan refugees. The artists, Sonam Lhamo and Kalsang Dekyi, have recently passed outs in fine arts and applied arts from South Delhi Polytechnic.

The exhibition allows one to understand the pains and sorrows of the Tibetan people.

In all, 28 artworks are on display till June 24. Sonam has used oil colours while Kalsang has used acrylic colours.

These paintings will also be exhibited at Kalstrad University in Sweden from August 15 to August 24 and in Paris from September 1 to September 14.

Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, congratulated the artists on behalf of his cabinet. Gyari Dolma, deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, also appreciated their works.

The SP was told that the decision would be based on the record of the case. The SP then threatened the magistrate with dire consequences. This incident was brought to the notice of the District and Sessions Judge. The court directed the SP to appear in person before the court on July 4.

Shimla, June 21
DGP Ashwini Kumar today stressed the need for bringing about a professional improvement in service delivery and police functioning.

The DGP interacted with all district police chiefs, DIGs and other senior functionaries of the department from all over the state here today.

The meeting, which was attended by all 12 SPs and range DIGs discussed the problems faced by the staff in the field.

He informed the officers about the new police planning to be adopted to keep pace with technological development.

He said issues like crime, intelligence, modernisation, welfare, CIPA and recruitment of 1,400 constables would be taken up on priority.

The DGP laid special emphasis on ensuring transparency in the recruitment of constables by the chairmen of the district recruitment boards concerned constituted under various police ranges.

The recruitment drive will be initiated on July 25.

Ashwini Kumar also gave specific directions to achieve the annual plan priority by all districts.

The tribunal directed all five respondents to appear in person before it on July 16 and asked why they should not be dealt with under the Contempt of Court Act for casting such unfounded aspersions on the integrity/ dignity of the tribunal.