Shimla, May 15
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau today shot letters to the electricity, ayurveda, language, art and culture departments and Agro India Packaging Limited seeking details about various recruitments made between 1994 and 1998. The step has been taken in connection with the ‘job-on-chit’ scam.

A special investigation unit (SIU) of the bureau wrote letters to the heads of these departments asking them to produce records pertaining to these recruitments.

The departments have been asked to furnish details within a day or two. “Once we are provided with the records and the scrutiny is over, we will summon the officers concerned, including senior bureaucrats, if needed,” said a senior official.

It is on the directions of the Special Judge (Forests) that the matter is being reinvestigated by the bureau. Although the previous Congress regime had moved the court seeking withdrawal of the case, the Special Judge (Forests) had directed the bureau to reinvestigate the matter in March earlier this year.

So far, the bureau has summoned only S. Nigam, the then commissioner of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) for questioning. Being the acting chairman of the State Public Service Commission, he had asked the Vigilance Bureau to come to him as he was holding a Constitutional post. He was given a questionnaire yesterday seeking information from him.

After conducting a preliminary inquiry into the matter, the bureau had found that about 336 persons were given jobs on recommendatory slips. As such, the SIU could question about 40 officials, including 11 IAS officers, with regard to their role in granting these jobs, said a senior official.

As per the list of persons, who had got undue benefit, a maximum of 103 had been absorbed in the Urban Development Authority, 61 in the Marketing Board, 52 in the Shimla Municipal Corporation, 47 in the Himachal Pradesh Small Industries Development Corporation (HPSIDC), 29 in the Agro Industries Corporation and 25 in HIMURJA.

Ghagas (Mandi-Bilaspur), May 15
Big boulders and tonnes of debris dumped on the left bank of Ali Khad by PWD contractors threaten the Deoli fish farm and pose health hazards to the villagers in the surrounding areas. The khad water feeds over seven IPH drinking water scheme downstream from Ghagas bridge in Bilaspur Sadar.

These contractors have been engaged in the work of widening the Shimla-Ghagas-Dharamsala national highway for the past two years. The debris has wiped out the village paths linking Deoli and other villages on the right bank of Ali Khad. “It is very difficult for us to cross the khad while going to villages on the other side as paths have been damaged and we have no foot bridge here,” said a postman.

Villagers living downstream alleged they were forced to drink “polluted water” as the IPH and the PWD departments had done nothing to remove health hazards upstream. “Sewage from a private hospital, hotels, dhabas and trash from Ghagas township end up in Ali Khad,” they said.

The fish farm was built in 1968. The debris has blocked the flow of water in the khad, aggravated the silt problem and increased the flood threat for the fish farm.

Fish farmers in Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Nalagarh regions buy over 33 lakh fingerlings from Deoli farm every year. “This farm also feeds seeds to the Gobind Sagar reservoir downstream. The Ghagas-Deoli link road has blocked water channels, hindering the movement of fish into Ali Khad that meets Gobind Sagar around 5 km downstream,” they said.

Fishery in charge of the farm Vivek Sharma said they had sent a report to the higher authority and the PWD about the danger posed by the debris, but no remedial measures had been initiated here so far.

IPH executive engineer, Bilaspur, Sunil Khanotra admitted that debris and sewage had become a problem for Ali Khad. “We will take up issue with the Pollution Control Board,” he added.

SE PWD, National Highway-88, D.R. Chaudhary said the widening of the Ghagas site was completed last year but nobody had brought the problem to his notice. “Debris is being dumped at places that required filling,” he added.

Shimla, May 15
Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal will launch the Rs 1,365-crore road project for development of road infrastructure in the state from Una on May 28.

This was stated by PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh while presiding over a review meeting on road projects today. “The project will involve upgrading around 436 km of state highways and all major district roads in the state,” he said.

The total cost of the project would be about Rs 1365.43 crore out of which Rs 990 crore would be in the form of World Bank loan and Rs 375.43 crore as borrower component. He said 90 per cent of the proceeds of the loan of Rs 990 crore would be made available to the state by the Centre as grant.

Under phase one, 231.69 km of state roads would be upgraded. This would include 44.82 km stretch of the Mehatpur-Una-Amb road, 45-km Una-Barsar road, 45.8-km Barsar-Jahu road, 15.39-km Jahu-Kalkhar road and 80.68-km Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road. In the second phase, 203.66-km road length would be upgraded, he added.

Thakur said for the first time bioengineering component had been introduced in the project to ensure ecological safeguards. Special emphasis would be laid on plantation of trees and ornamental plants on both sides of the roads, he added.

He said the state road project would be implemented through the Himachal Pradesh Road Infrastructure Development Corporation. The project would be completed by December, 2012.

Bilaspur, May 15
BJP candidate from Hamirpur parliamentary constituency Anurag Thakur has joined issue with his opponent Congress candidate O.P. Rattan and has strongly repudiated Rattan’s charges that schools are facing shortage of teachers and there is shortage of doctors in hospitals in Hamirpur district and other places in the state.

Addressing election meetings in Kot Kehloor constituency in this district, at Harnora, Dhon Kothi, Dhar-Tatoh, Sai Kharsi, Sui Surhar, Dhuni Panjail, Sikroha, Namhole, Jhanda and Kothipura today, Anurag Thakur said it is not the BJP government, which had been in saddle only for four months until now, but it is former Virbhadra Singh government which is responsible for the shortage of staff and teachers in schools and doctors in hospitals.

He said the Congress remained in power for five years in the state and despite repeated clamouring by the people that the government failed to recruit staff for these institutions and provide sufficient facilities to the people. Anurag said Rattan should get an explanation from Virbhadra Singh why he did not bother to recruit required teachers and doctors.

Anurag said the BJP government led by Dhumal is going to recruit 18,000 teachers, 250 doctors, 85 ayurveda doctors, 1,000 nurses, paramedical staff and would employ a total of 28,000 government employees during the current financial year with a view to reduce un-employment among youth and also to remove difficulties of the people.

Anurag said increase in bus fare was necessitated again due to inefficient handling of the state road transport corporation by the former Congress government and when the BJP came to power this corporation was in loss of Rs 90 crore. He said the government had no alternative except to increase the fares instead of totally closing down of the HRTC and thus depriving people from basic travelling facilities through this cheaper transport. He said even this bus fare was increased only when the Central Government led by Congress party increased diesel prices which started a chain reaction in price rise.

Hamirpur, May 15
Congress candidates for the Hamirpur byelection O.P. Rattan has accused the BJP of allegedly adopting undemocratic methods in the election.

Addressing a series of public meetings at Aghar, Ropdi, Samtana, Dhangota and several other places in the Nadaunta constituency, he said, “BJP leaders have become so desperate to win this election that now they are resorting to every method and spending huge money.”

He said the people were in a mood to teach the BJP a lesson in this election. Even the BJP workers were not happy with the party since it had become “Dhumal private limited”.

He blamed the BJP government “for not providing drinking water to the people of Mewa and Bamsan constituencies though the Congress government had completed 99 per cent work on the Bamsan-Lagwati drinking water scheme by spending around Rs 70 crore”.

He said, “Providing employment to unemployed youths by bringing in projects and extension of the railway line will be his priorities in Parliament if he gets a chance to represent the Hamirpur constituency.”

Addressing public meeting in support of O.P. Rattan, leader of the opposition in the state Assembly Vidya Stokes at Bhumpal and Bela in the Nadaun constituency criticised Shanta Kumar for making certain remarks against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

She said, “It does not behove well for a leader like Shanta Kumar to level unfounded allegations against the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi.”

She also criticised the BJP government for the price rise, bus fare hike and its performance during the past 120 days.

Hamirpur, May 15
State BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur has criticised former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for calling BJP candidate “unexperienced”.

Talking to mediapersons here today, he said, “We do not need to seek experience certificate from him for Anurag Thakur; his earlier assertion made about me had cost him heavily during the last Assembly elections and this time also he will get a proper reply in the form of defeat of the Congress candidate.”

Thakur said, “Virbhadra Singh is making such statements to remain in the limelight after being ousted from the state government and from the party leadership.”

He claimed, “The BJP is way ahead in the election campaign and getting very good response from the people.”

He said, “Price rise is the main issue in this election for which policies of the Central Government are responsible. Though the state government has taken steps to contain inflation in the state, ouster of the Congress government from the Centre and formation of the NDA government could only stem the rot.”

Dharamsala, May 15
The BJP government is pressurising employees to fetch votes for them. The ministers are telling the employees, who have been transferred on political whim after the formation of the present government, that if they manage more votes for the BJP from their respective booths they could be transferred back.

R.K. Dhawan, in-charge of Congress for Himachal, levelled these allegations at a press conference held at Kangra today at the residence of former Congress minister G.S. Bali.

He said many employees have told Congress leaders about the indecent proposals being made to them by the BJP leaders. He further alleged that the BJP used to make charges against the Congress for carrying out dynastic rule. However, now the BJP is following the same policy. BJP candidate from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, is the son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. He was inducted into the party just a few days before the party ticket was allotted to him. This can only termed as dynastic rule.

While responding to a query Dhawan said failure of Congress workers to communicate to voters regarding the development carried out by the previous government in the state was the basic reason for the defeat of the party in last Assembly elections. The early election announced by the Election Commission was also one of the reasons as the government was left in a quandary.

Dhawan also declined that there was factionalism in party. He said Virbhadra Singh has entered into poll campaigning for O.P. Rattan, the Congress candidate from Hamirpur constituency, at the right time. The party stood united behind the Congress candidate, he said.

Viplove Thakur, former president of the HPCC, who was also present, alleged that though the BJP had declared transfer policy in the Assembly, no rule is being followed in transfers. The employees and the Congress workers are being victimised by transfers and registration of cases. 

Shimla, May 15
Chief electoral officer Manisha Nanda has directed all secretaries, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners of Mandi, Hamirpur, Kangra, Bilaspur and Una districts to ensure that no employee takes part in political activities.

She has directed officials to ensure that there is no violation of the conduct rules during the Hamirpur byelection. She drew attention of the officials towards Rule 5 of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which debars government servants from taking part in political activities in whatsoever manner, except exercising his right to vote as a citizen.

She said no government servant could act as an election agent, polling agent or counting agent. If anybody was found violating these rules and instructions, it should be brought to the notice of the Election Department immediately. She said strict action would be taken against the employees found violating these directions.

She also said that May 22 had been declared as a gazetted holiday in the Hamirpur constituency. She said polling would take place from 8 am to 5 pm.

Dharamsala, May 15
Reacting to news items that he was under vigilance scanner, the former transport minister G.S. Bali said he was ready to face any inquiry.

While talking to The Tribune here today Bali said the recruitments of 200 multipurpose transport workers that were carried out during his stint as a minister were most transparent. The candidates were recruited on the basis of written test and then an interview was conducted by the panel constituted for the purpose. I was in no way directly involved with recruitment but as a fact I was the concerned minister. The recruitment was so transparent that anybody could fetch the record regarding it under the RTI.

He said the basic allegation is that the majority of those recruited were from Nagrota and Kangra. In the said recruitment the government made a provision to recruit 25 per cent candidates from other backward classes (OBC’s). Since the maximum concentration of OBC’s in the state is in the Nagrota and Kangra areas so maximum candidates from these areas were selected.

Shimla, May 15
In the absence of proper treatment and care facilities, parents of children suffering from thalassaemia have requested the government to set up a separate thalassaemia care centre for children suffering from this genetic disorder at the Indira Ganhi Medical College (IGMC).

Taking up the cause of thalassaemic children, a voluntary organisation, the Youth for Uplift Thorough Voluntary Action (YUVA) today said the patients as well as their parents had to go through a harrowing time at the IGMC whenever there was a need for blood transfusion, which is a sole treatment for the disorder.

The YUVA also pleaded that with over Rs 15,000 monthly medicine and treatment cost, they should be given subsidised medicines.

“Setting up of a separate thalassaemic care centre at the IGMC will save the children and their parents from a lot of inconvenience as they have to make visits to the hospitals every now and then for blood transfusion,” said convener of the YUVA Srivastava.

“When the child is a regular visitor to the IGMC for transfusion every 20 days, then he should be enrolled once and for all rather than going through formalities that are cumbersome and exhausting for the patient as well as the attendant,” said Rajeev Sood, whose nine-year-old son is a thalassaemic.

The parents also stressed the need for keeping a pace with the latest technology like use of filter sets and other medical advancements.

The parents of thalassaemic children have decided to join hands and form a State Thalassaemic Society along with representatives of blood banks, NGOs, doctors and other social workers.

Nurpur, May 15
Anjali (7), a class III student of Government Primary School, Chandran, in this subdivision, sustained injury on her head and bruises on the back and right arm after a merciless beating by her teacher today.

According to information gathered from Kandwal police chowki where a case has been registered against the accused primary teacher Vijay Sharma, it is alleged that the teacher first thrashed the kid who hit against the wooden desk and fell. The accused teacher went on beating her with a stick even after it started bleeding on her head.

She was rushed to the Civil Hospital this evening along with the police. The doctor told that she received stitches on her head. Apart from this she had bruises on the back and right arm.

Her elder sister Priya, who also studies in the same school in class V, told that when she interrupted she was threatened to face the same tune. This incident had sent a shock wave among the residents of the village. There is a demand to immediate transfer and strict action against the accused teacher. Meanwhile, the police is awaiting for the medical legal certificate for imposing Sections of the IPC against the accused.

Shimla, May 15
The HP State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Hyundai Motors Limited and its Chandigarh-based dealer Charishma Goldwheels Limited to pay a punitive cost of Rs 50,000 to a customer for selling a defective vehicle to him.

Upholding the order passed by the District Consumer Forum, Shimla, president of the commission Arun Kumar Goel said instead of having the luxury of enjoying his new car, the customer had to bear with nuisance of a defective car.

The commission said the district forum was justified in directing the company and its dealer to either refund the amount with interest or replace the vehicle.

B.K. Arora had purchased a Santro car from the company’s Chandigarh dealer and within a month of making the purchase, the car started giving trouble. He brought it to the notice of the dealer several times, but to no avail.

Later, he filed a complaint before the forum for replacement of the vehicle or the refund of the cost of the car along with interest, besides damages.

The forum directed the company and its dealer to replace the defective vehicle or refund the amount. The forum also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on both the company and its dealer for being deficient in service and causing mental harassment to the customer. The company and its dealer later challenged the order before the commission.

Mandi, May 15
The CPM has demanded a CBI probe into the controversial Rs 2- crore royal property sale. The party has also asked the government to acquire all historical and cultural buildings and promote these as cultural heritage centres.

In a press note issued here today, party district secretary Bhupnder Singh said the government should probe the sale of property in an impartial manner and expose those behind the deal.

Kullu, May 15
A Russian national allegedly murdered his Russian girlfriend at a private guesthouse in Manikaran in Parbati Valley, about 40 km from here, yesterday.

SP Jagat Ram said Vitaly Levedskly (39), holding a Russian passport, arrived at Manikaran in the morning with his girlfriend Tsvetkova Ekaterina (37) and checked in the Iris restaurant-cum-guesthouse.

He said the initial investigations confirm that the woman was strangulated. A child, who saw him throwing the body into the Parvati River in the evening, informed others.

The accused tried to commit suicide twice, but survived. Later, he fled away into the forest and was caught by the police.