Shimla, May 21
The Vigilance Bureau has sought permission from the government for registering a case against IAS officer Subhash Ahluwalia, a former principal private secretary to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau today wrote to P.C. Kapoor, principal secretary, Home and Vigilance, seeking permission for registering a case against Ahluwalia in the disproportionate assets case. After conducting an inquiry against the bureaucrat about his assets, including deposits in bank accounts, the Vigilance has sought permission to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is likely to be registered tomorrow.

The Vigilance Bureau had reportedly found that deposits worth Rs 1.35 crore had been made by Ahluwalia and his wife in about 15 bank accounts at various places during the past five years. “After calculating the total income of Ahluwalia and his wife from their salaries and rents during the past five years, the amount that they could have earned should have been far less, notwithstanding the fact that there would be GPF deduction and other expenditure,” said a senior police official.

Kapoor confirmed about the Vigilance letter seeking permission for registering a case against Ahluwalia. It is being expected that a decision in this connection would be taken only after consulting Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, who would return to the state capital in a day or two after the polling in Hamirpur is over.

Sources said it had been found that Ahluwalia owned properties in Gurgaon, Chandigarh and Shimla. Sources said the Vigilance had found that the value of these properties was far more than what had been mentioned by Ahluwalia when he furnished the details to the bureau.

The BJP chargesheet, the basis for practically every inquiry being conducted by the Vigilance, contained serious allegations against Ahluwalia while he was posted in the Chief Minister’s office during the Congress regime.

It was in connection with disproportionate assets that the bureau had questioned Ahluwalia while his wife, Principal of a government college, had been quizzed about her foreign jaunts. It was alleged that she had travelled abroad without seeking government permission for which she could face departmental action.

Immediately after the BJP assumed power, Ahluwalia was posted as settlement officer, Kangra. His wife, Principal of the local Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, was also transferred to Solan.

In fact, Virbhadra Singh had accused Dhumal regime of targeting Ahluwalia and his wife simply for the reason that he was his private secretary. Virbhadra Singh had said that the BJP, instead of taking on politicians, was victimising officers who had worked with him while he was the Chief Minister.

Shimla, May 21
As many as 1172944 electors, including 23615 service voters, will cast their votes for the Hamirpur LS byelection from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Chief electoral officer Manisha Nanda said here today 1373 polling stations had been set up in 17 assembly segments, which included one auxiliary polling station in the Gagret (SC) segment. The Una assembly segments had the maximum 96 polling stations.

She said 1611 EVMs had been provided for polling with two reserve EVMs for each remote polling station.

As many as 179 polling stations had been declared as hyper-sensitive and 303 as sensitive.

Hamirpur: Activists of both BJP and the Congress are concentrating on voters’ mobilisation to polling booths now.

Though four candidates are in the fray the main contest is between BJP candidate Anurag Thakur, son of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, and Congress candidate O.P. Rattan.

The Election Commission has appointed three central poll observers to supervise the election. As many as 490 police personnel and 414 home guards have been deployed for security in Hamirpur district.

The counting of votes will be taken up on May 25.

Solan, May 21
The District Industries Centre (DIC) has served notices on 11 investors, who had got industrial plots in the Banelgi industrial area but failed to initiate any activity on these plots. These investors had been directed to appear before the general manager, DIC, and explain as to why they had failed to initiate any industrial activity on those plots.

The development assumes significance as the rates of industrial plots have been recently revised by the state government and each plot is now available at a rate of Rs 3,000 per sq m at Banelgi. These 11 plots, allotted around 3 years ago, cover around 549 bighas.

The investors had earlier deferred their plans of setting up industries at Banelgi as there was no power supply. Later, a sum of Rs 41 lakh was spent on the providing power infrastructure. However, despite the availability of power for the past two years, the entrepreneurs had failed to show any interest in these plots. This had given a jolt to the state government’s efforts of promoting industrial area in interior areas as the prime industrial areas of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh had already saturated.

GM DIC K.C. Chaman said efforts were afoot to facilitate investors and ensure that they began industrial activities on the allotted plots soon. However, if they failed to do so even now, their plots could be cancelled. He said the area was now well connected by roads. The only problem there was non-availability of water, but that problem was made known to the investors at the time of allotment of plots.

Shimla, May 21
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has started Dr Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme to provide financial assistance for medical treatment to Scheduled Caste (SC) people whose family income is less than 50,000 per annum.

A spokesman of the state government said under the scheme, Dr Ambedkar Foundation, New Delhi, would bear 75 per cent of the total medical expenses, with a maximum ceiling of Rs 1 lakh, in each case.

He said the patients suffering from cancer, serious ailments related to kidney, heart, liver, brain, including knee surgery and spinal surgery, could seek assistance for treatment under the scheme.

He said the scheme would be implemented through 10 prominent hospitals of the country besides all CGHS-approved hospitals, all state government medical colleges attached hospitals, all government hospitals and those recognised by the state government, all hospitals fully funded by either the Central or state governments, hospitals at district headquarters and major towns where surgery or treatment facilities for diseases covered under the scheme were available.

In exceptional cases, any hospital outside the approved list could also be approached for treatment where the chairperson was convinced of genuineness and justification of the need.

The spokesman said the applicants could apply for the medical aid through a prescribed form duly certified by the medical superintendent of hospital concerned, along with the caste certificate, income certificate, ration card and estimated cost of treatment.

He said that the application would be forwarded by the local sitting MP (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), the DC, secretaries in charge of health and social welfare departments of the state.

The forms should reach the director of the foundation at 15 Janpath, New Delhi, at least 15 days before the surgery, he added.

Nahan, May 21
WWE wrestler Daleep Singh Rana, famously known as The Great Khali, was given a rousing welcome by thousands of residents at his native village, Dhiraina, around 145 km from here, today.

Over 3,000 residents of the area welcomed Khali in a traditional manner amid singing of songs and playing of traditional music. Amit Kumar, PRO of Khali, said Khali had already decided to take part in social welfare activities in the state. He would spend next two days with his family at his village.

Earlier, public functions were organised to felicitate him at Paonta, Shillai and Kamrou village. A large number of local organisations and imminent persons honoured him at these functions. It took over 11 hours for him to cover a distance of 145 km to reach his village.

At Paonta, a function was organised by the Paonta administration. It was presided over by the SDM, Paonta. The Sirmaur Truck Operator Union, the Chamber of Commerce, the Himachal branch of the Anti-Terrorist Front, the Himachal Pradesh Bodybuilding Federation, the Beopar Mandal, Paonta, the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, Paonta, honoured Khali by presenting him shawls, caps and momentoes at the function.

At Kamrou, residents honoured Khali by presenting him a traditional weapon ‘dangra’ (axe). At Shialli, MLA Harshverdhan Chauhan presented a silver “dangra” to Khali. Khali also received a warm welcome at Kafota, Sataun and Tilor Dhar where hundreds of residents had gathered to welcome him.

He was honoured by the Himachal Pradesh government in a state-level function organised in the historic Chowgan ground here last evening. More than 10,000 residents of Nahan witnessed this felicitation ceremony.

Nurpur, May 21
The fear of flash floods has been haunting the residents and traders of Jassur town near here since the last rainy season. The Gareli rivulet, which passes through the town, changed its course in July last and the flash floods damaged dhusi and protection walls raised along the bank of the rivulet.

Residents of the town said illegal mining had become a regular feature in the rivulet bed. Around 20 houses and a big area of agriculture land have become prone to flash floods as the entire protection work to save these had been washed away. The railway bridge across the rivulet has also become unsafe.

Santokh Singh, Vikram Singh, Surjeet Guleria, Raghunath, Punjab Singh and Surinder Singh, local residents, said protection walls, raised after the flash floods of 1983-1984, had been washed away. This could spell trouble for them in the next rainy season, they said.

Now, they are pinning hopes on the new government for a permanent solution to the problem and diversion of rivulet course for the time being. They had also raised the demand to check the menace of illegal mining in the rivulet bed.

Pradhan of the Kamnala gram panchayat Rajesh Kaka said Jassur residents had submitted many resolutions to the previous Virbhadra Singh government in this regard, but to no avail. Ex-MLA and former minister Sat Mahajan was also approached at that time. “A Rs 30-lakh special plan formulated by the soil conservation department was put forward, but nobody knows the fate of that plan,” he said. He said he had also submitted a fresh resolution of the panchayat to the new government in that regard.

Hamirpur, May 21
While the countdown has begun for the polling for the Hamirpur byelection tomorrow, voters’ verdict on the issue of price rise must be a matter of concern for both the BJP and the Congress.

If price rise is any parameter for deciding voters’ choice in this election, the response seems quite disturbing for both parties. Majority of the electors hold the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre as well as the BJP-led state government equally responsible for it.

The campaigns of the BJP and the Congress apart, people are quite vocal on the sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities during the recent months.

Sunita Devi, a housewife from Bamsan segment, says, “It is the duty of the Centre as well as the state government to check rising prices since managing family affairs has become difficult for common people. Moreover, the 25 per cent bus fare hike has added fuel to the fire.”

Kiran Pathania a student from Bohni village, says, “Though it is the responsibility of the Centre to check prices, it is also a fact though both the Congress and the BJP had promised during the Assembly elections that the prices of essential commodities would be brought down. However, it remained a promise only.”

Ranjeet Kumar, a government employee, blamed the Central Government for the present inflation.

Meera Devi, wife of a daily wager from the Nadaun area, pooh-poohed the claim of the BJP government of providing financial benefits in the form of wage and pension increase. She said, “While Rs 25 have been increased in the daily wages, the 25 per cent bus fare hike has nullified it.”

Shimla, May 21
Accusing former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of having given jobs to ineligible people ignoring merit, the BJP said yesterday that he was now trying to launch a misinformation campaign by distorting facts.

In a statement issued here toady, convener of the state BJP media cell, Ashok Kapatia, said Virbhadra Singh had no moral right to rake up the issue of wrong recruitments when the ‘jobs-on-chits’ scam was being re-investigated by the Vigilance Bureau on the directions of the court.

He said the 24 charges against Virbhadra Singh probed by the CBI had been levelled by his own colleague, Sukh Ram, and not the BJP. “Is it not true that in another case pertaining to the Land Ceiling Act, Virbhadra Singh had surrendered the excess land owned by him,” he quipped.

Kapatia said it was on the directions of Virbhadra Singh that chairman of the Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB) S.M. Katwal had been unduly harassed. “The matter regarding irregularities in appointments against Katwal is still pending in court, as such it would be inappropriate to make political statements,” he remarked.

He said Virbhadra Singh had no moral right to accuse the BJP of making wrong appointments. “The Chief Minister is aware of the unemployment scenario in the state and schemes are accordingly being made to generate maximum possible jobs and self-employment avenues,” he said.

Bilaspur, May 21
Ram Singh, president of the state non-gazetted employees federation, and Vinod Kumar, state general secretary of the state employees confederation, have taken strong exception to the statement of state Congress in charge R.K. Dhawan that the state government is threatening and alluring the state employees on the name of transfers and is pressurising them for voting in favour of BJP candidate Anurag Thakur.

Addressing mediapersons along with some 12 NGO leaders here last night, both these leaders called this statement humiliating and insulting for employees of the state who, they said, could not be pressurised, intimidated, coerced or bullied by anybody for voting in a particular way. They have their own opinions and stands on all issues, which concern the country and the state.

Both Ram Singh and Vinod Kumar asserted that Himachal employees are fully aware of their constitutional rights and duties and Dhawan should know that they are the powerful section of the state population which have been helping in forming or getting removed governments from power in the state.

They expressed surprise that now Dhawan should step forward and feel worried for employees and become a self-appointed spokesman of the employees of the state during this election. He did not utter a single word when former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was victimising thousands of employees and patronised a couple of NGO leaders, who were openly charged and against whom repeated enquiries were demanded.

They said the BJP government had not only immediately vacated all victimisation of employees done during Virbhadra Singh’s regime, but also accepted some of the long-pending demands.

Shimla, May 21
The state high court has directed all student organisations and teacher associations of the Himachal Pradesh University to give joint suggestions for creating a better academic atmosphere in the university campus.

While passing this order a division bench comprising Justice R.B. Mishra and Justice Sanjay Karol further observed that suggestions of all concerned with the university would be more helpful for maintaining the academic atmosphere then the passing of order by this court.

The bench had granted two weeks time to the organisations to file their suggestions.

This order came on a petition filed by Anjana Chauhan, wherein she alleged that the academic atmosphere of the university is deteriorating day-by-day due to everyday agitations.

She urged the court to direct the authorities to take every possible step to restore the educational environment in the campus.

Kumarhatti, May 21
The helplessness of the Forest Department to check the forest fire in summer came to fore when a devastating fire engulfed the area surrounding the department’s own watchtower near here recently.

The flora and fauna suffered heavily in the pine forest area in and around the watchtower. The watchtower the first of its kind in this area was set up by the department in 2001 to keep a check on a 300-sq km area comprising two forest divisions of Solan and Kunihar.

However, now it appeared that the watchtower has proved a white elephant due to the irregularity in manning the area from there.

The watchtower was reportedly built at the cost of Rs 2 lakh atop a hill facing this town near Chewa village in the Chunjri forest area. From this watchtower the department was supposed to notice the fire on time mainly to prevent the loss of forest cover.

Interestingly, for better communications and effective monitoring the watchtower would be equipped with wireless sets as well as keeping a mobile mini truck ready in certain point to ply immediately in effective area with relief measures.

Moreover, three forest workers would be permanently deployed at the watchtower and in case of any fire, these forest workers would contact the base stations at Dharampur, Garkhal and Solan. From these stations teams to control the fire would be deputed to the affected area.

Ironically these things seem to fail in taking any practical shape, as a fire at a close distance from the watchtower could not be noticed so what to think about covering the 300-sq km area.