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Lathicharge in HPU hostel, 12 hurt
A view of the heavy security arrangements put in place on the Himachal Pradesh University campus in Shimla on Thursday. Tribune
photo by S. Chandan
HPSEB trifurcation likely to be deferred by 3 months
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Cancel cement plant approval: Samiti
Demonstrations held at Nurpur, Paonta
Case to be registered against ADGP Thind
Kharif Target
Admn reshuffle
Police rescues leopard
I became a victim of conspiracy: MLA
PDS being strengthened: Minister
CBSE Class X
Pen-down strike observed at Mandi
Brakel case adjourned
Prez cancels Manali visit
Water scheme for Tungasigarh: Ravi
Zar defends Viplove
INTUC rejects HPAIC offer
Drive to clean Beas tributary
2 students hurt in clash
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Lathicharge in HPU hostel, 12 hurt
Shimla, May 29 SHO of the Boileauganj police station Amar Singh has been placed under suspension for ordering a lathicharge allegedly without any provocation. Deputy commissioner J.S. Rana has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The SDM, Shimla has been asked to complete the inquiry by tomorrow so that an action can be taken against the erring officials. It was around 1.45 am when the police started thrashing ABVP activists. DC Rana and SP R.M. Sharma had barely left after taking a round of the hostels that the police started thrashing students in Block-F of the boys’ hostel. Earlier, in a bid to bring the situation under control, activists of the SFI and the ABVP had been cordoned off in two separate blocks of the hostel. The injured students, some of them with multiple fractures, have been admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC). The situation on the campus remained under control even as the ABVP activists held a demonstration at the Summer Hill Chowk and blocked traffic till late in the afternoon. “Two reserves of the police have been deployed on the campus to avert any further trouble and the situation is under control,” said DIG (law and order) S.R. Mardi. The SP said the SHO had been suspended since he was not satisfied with the reason given by him for resorting to a lathicharge. “According to the SHO, the boys had pelted policemen with stones and attacked them with swords, which led to the lathicharge,” he said. The SHO had not sought permission from the higher-ups before taking such an action, he said. Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta has demanded action against the police officials who lathicharged the students without any provocation. He appealed to the students not to take law in their hands and help in maintaining peace on the campus. Meanwhile, the entrance examination for the combined pre-medical test (CPMT-2008) was held peacefully on the campus. The students have been advised to carry their identity cards with them so that outsiders can be identified easily. Senior police officials, including the DIG (law and order), the DIG (south) and the SP, visited the campus to take stock of the situation. The police is maintaining vigil in all eight boys’ hostel to ensure that there is no fresh trouble.
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Arrest the guilty: BJYM
Shimla, May 29 In a statement issued here today, state chief and general secretary of the BJYM Rakesh Jamwal and Surat Negi, respectively, demanded that the police must turn out the CITU activists from the hostels as they were responsible for vitiating the academic atmosphere in the hostels. “Innocent students from various parts of the state who come to the university are misled by the SFI activists,” they alleged. |
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HPSEB trifurcation likely to be deferred by 3 months
Shimla, May 29 The call for the mass leave given by the state electricity board employees union evoked a mixed response. While the union claimed that 75 per cent of the staff took casual leave, official sources maintained that only 25 to 30 per cent employees responded to the call. Representatives of various unions of the board, led by general secretary of the state power engineers association Suneel Grover, met the union power minister Sushil Shinde in New Delhi today. They impressed upon him that the “unbundling” of the board was not mandated in the Electricity Act, 2003, which only provided for separation of functions of distribution, transmission and generation. These objectives of the Act could be achieved by carrying out internal restructuring, without dismantling the state utility. The points raised by the representatives will be discussed by the ministry with the representatives of the state government at a meeting to be held on June 5. It is worth mentioning that during his recent visit to the state, Shinde had given enough indications that the state would have to unbundle the board and the sooner it carried out the exercise, the better it would be. He had said that 20 states had already completed the exercise and the rest should follow the suit. Hamirpur: Employees of the HPSEB observed a pen-down strike and wore black badges in protest against the proposed move to trifurcate the board today. A dharna was staged at Anu Chowk. President and general secretary of the HPSEB Employees Union Kameshwar Sharma and J.K. Dhiman, respectively, said, “The Electricity Act passed by the NDA government in 2003 aims to benefit MNCs and private companies under the pressure of the IMF and the World Bank by trifurcating the state electricity boards, This needed to be
opposed.” |
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Cancel cement plant approval: Samiti
Sundernagar, May 29 According to Col B.S.
Raghwa, president of Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti, Sundernagar, the samiti has given representation to the Union minister for environment and forests, director general of forests, ministry of environment and forests and conservator of forests (central), regional office of ministry of environment and forests, Chandigarh, and the copies of the representation was also released by him to the media here yesterday. The samiti has alleged that the environment and forest clearances which was given to the project with regard to Keran Lime Stones Mines in 2005, for setting up cement plant near Sundernagar was given without complying to the legal norms. Earlier, the site of the project was at the Maloh-Nalani area but the environmental/forest clearance was denied to this spot vide latter dated 8-6-99 as the site of the project and mining were found very near to Wildlife Sanctuary,
Bandali. But afterwards the company played some foul play and got the plant site shifted within a thickly populated area (near Sundernagar) but the mining area remained the same, even then the environmental and forest clearance was given to the project which is itself a rare example of violation of environmental laws. At present the sites of proposed cement plant and mining, both are were very near to Bandali Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Awareness Centre,
Trambri, but while giving clearance to the project the distances between the plant/mining site and Sanctuary were shown wrongly by the field officials in order to give benefit to the company. |
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Demonstrations held at Nurpur, Paonta
Nurpur, May 29 The protest was led by State HPSEB Employees’ Union vice-president Pawan Mahol. Addressing the rally, union leaders decried the decision of the Union Government. They said with the trifurcation of the board, the benefits of its employees like promotions, gratuity, pension and leave encashment would be adversely affected. Moreover, the electricity consumers in the state would get power at the rate of Rs 6 to 8 per unit. Mahol said keeping in view the exceptional geographical conditions of the hill state, the UPA government should not enforce anti-employee and anti-consumer Section 172 of the Act. He said the union would oppose the move tooth and nail. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene and take up the issue effectively with the Union Government in the larger interest of the employees and the people of the state. Later, the agitating employees from different units of the union held a protest demonstration in the town. Holding placards, they raised slogans against the Union Government. Nahan:
Around 200 employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) took out a protest march at Paonta today. They raised slogans against the proposed trifurcation of the board. They held a meeting at Badripur subdivision and then took out the protest march up to Geta Bhawan at Paonta. Employees also observed a pen-down strike. At Dadahu, employees assembled at the local substation and raised slogans against the Union Government. |
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Case to be registered against ADGP Thind
Shimla, May 29 Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal is learnt to have granted approval for registration of a case against the IPS officer, who has lately been in news. The file for seeking permission for registration of a case against Thind had been pending for sometime as the Chief Minister was busy campaigning for Hamirpur byelection. It is expected that with the Chief Minister giving the nod, a case could be registered against Thind in the Parwanoo police station any day now. The case is likely to be registered for cheating. A Parwanoo based businessman, Mittal, had personally made a complaint to the Chief Minister that Thind had allegedly demanded money from him for getting his premises vacated. He had also handed over a CD with recorded conversation, which he had with Thind in this regard. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is learnt to have held a preliminary inquiry into the matter. It was on the basis of the findings of the Vigilance Bureau that permission had been sought for registration of a case against
Thind. Thind’s name had prominently figured in the BJP chargesheet that had been handed over to the Governor by the party while in opposition. In fact, the BJP had accused the Virbhadra regime for shielding Thind despite levelling of serious cases against him. |
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9.15 lakh tonne
Tribune News Service
Shimla, May 29 The targets for maize and paddy are 7.74 and 1.19 lakh tonne, respectively. Apart from this, 6,000 tonne oilseeds, 1.56 lakh tonne potato and 6.84 lakh tonne vegetables will also be produced. Director of agriculture J.C. Rana said the department had made arrangements to supply various farm inputs, including 23,000 quintal improved seeds, 20,500 tonne fertilisers, 100 quintal bio-fertilisers, 95 tonne insecticides and 50,000 improved implements. To ensure quality of inputs, 1,000 samples of fertilisers, 150 of insecticides and 600 of seeds would be drawn at random and got tested, he added. The department would also analyse 50,000 soil samples so that farmers could make a balanced use of fertilisers and select the most suitable crops for growing. He said since a majority of the farmers had small landholdings, they were not able to generate sufficient income from farming. Making optimum use of farm inputs and high-yielding varieties, they could get better returns. The government had singed an MoU with the Japanese government for carrying out a study to enhance farm income through diversified agriculture. On the basis of it, a master plan for the next 15 years would be prepared, he said.
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Admn reshuffle
Shimla, May 29 Balbir Tegta, director (urban development) has been posted as the settlement officer, Shimla. Tegta had remained principal private secretary to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh towards the end of the Congress rule. C.P. Paulrasu, IAS, director (elementary education), has been posted as the deputy commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, at Kaza. Amar Singh Rathore, HAS, who was the DC, Lahaul-Spiti, has been appointed the director (urban development). He will also hold the additional charge of the director (town and country planning). Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, HAS, posted as the controller (printing and stationary) has been posted as the director (elementary education). He will continue to hold the additional charge of the controller (printing and stationary). Baldev Sharma, HAS, who was awaiting posting, has been posted as the secretary, Ex-Servicemen Board, at Hamirpur, relieving Amril Lal Sharma of the additional charge. These are the first postings that have been ordered by the government after the model code of conduct enforced in view of the Hamirpur byelection, came to end.
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Police rescues leopard
Solan, May 29 He said, “We were informed about the trap which was laid in the fields of Amar Singh around 9.30 am today morning. Inquiry was being conducted into this incident and help was sought from the police to nab the culprits. The 2-year-old leopard was shifted to the
Tuti-Kandi rescue home at Shimla for time being. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act has been registered by the Forest Department.” The doctors, who examined the leopard, found no external injury on its body. It was later taken to Shimla in a specially brought cage. The DFO said, “The role of the field owner in laying the trap had been ruled out as he had emphatically said he was a vegetarian. More so he himself had informed about the trap.” However, it was interesting to note that the leopards were hunted for their hides, which fetched lakhs. No case had come to the fore where leopards were hunted for consumption. This incident had created a peculiar problem for the Solan Forest Division since this zoo already had a large number of leopards. Officials were not sure if the leopard would find place for long in that rescue home. The DFO opined that the leopard would have to be soon let out in the open as it was accustomed to the natural habitat. |
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I became a victim of conspiracy: MLA
Mandi, May 29 Addressing his maiden press conference here, he said the motive behind the burglary was to get some documents as thieves decamped with just six quilts and blankets. “The thieves did not touch Rs 40,000 cash and other expensive items kept in the house. The burglary was a part of conspiracy being hatched against him to settle political scores,” he claimed, without naming suspects or conspirators. He said the burglars broke the door of the upper story while his chowkidar was sleeping on the ground flour. They ransacked the entire house but did not touched the cash kept there for payment of the labourers, he added. He further went on to add that certain persons were after him, as they could not digest his winning the seat. The BJP government was acting on the basis of political vendetta and everybody was feeling insecure, he alleged. On the issue of medical college in Mandi, Sharma said he had asked the Chief Minister to not to attach the zonal hospital to the private medical college as the Congress stood for opening of the government medical college in Mandi.
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PDS being strengthened: Minister
Shimla, May 29 He said the Centre had ended its quota of 9,860 tonne rice for the above poverty line (APL) families from June 2008. “However, the state government has decided to make available 20 kg rice to each APL family from its own foodgrain godown from June,” he said. He said efforts were on to get the quota of rice revived from July, 2008, and the matter had been taken up with the Centre. “The quota of rice fixed for the BPL and Antodaya families had not been discontinued and arrangements were being made to lift the additional quota of wheat as sanctioned by the Centre for APL families from June, 2008. He said though the Centre had banned release of new gas connections, but after Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal pleaded the case of Himachal, new connections were being sanctioned. He said gas cylinders were being made available to consumers on demand. The minister said all essential commodities, including pulses, edible oils and kerosene, were being distributed to the consumers through the network of fair-price shops functioning under the PDS. He said all steps were being taken to ensure that no shortage was faced by consumers.
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100 pc result for two schools
Our Correspondent
Kullu, May 29 Lalita Kanwar, Principal, LMS, said the school had marked a distinction in having all students passed in first division. Three of them secured 85 to 90 per cent marks while the lowest percentage was 62 per cent. She stressed that the percentage obtained were of the elective subjects and the optional subjects like computer, environment education and physical education were not added on to gross total. The school organised a function to honour these students and also declared a holiday on May 30. Kendriya Vidyalaya also registered 100 per cent result and its Principal congratulated the staff and students for the achievement. The precedence of good results would encourage the rural children to take the benefits of Kendriya Vidyalaya in future, he added.
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Pen-down strike observed at Mandi
Mandi, May 29 Addressing the gathering, the HPSEB leaders claimed that the state government should follow Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, which have not implemented the Act. The trifurcation of the board will hit the employees and the state in the long run, they claimed, demanding repeal of the CEA, 2003. |
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Brakel case adjourned
Shimla, May 29 The counsel for the Reliance Energy has sought time form the court for filing rejoinder to the reply filed by the state government. Considering the plea of the Reliance Energy, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Rajiv Sharma granted four days to the petitioner company for filing the rejoinder and listed the matter for June 3 for further hearing. The Reliance Energy had filed a petition in the court claiming that the terms of agreement for allotment of the project had been violated by the bid-winning company, Brakel. |
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Prez cancels Manali visit
Shimla, May 29 The President was scheduled to visit Manali along with her family members and was to return here tomorrow. Though no reason has been specified for the cancellation of her visit to Manali, it is being said that it is for personal reasons. All arrangements had been made at the Manali Circuit House for the stay of the President and her family, who were to return tomorrow. The President will return for Delhi on June 1. |
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Water scheme for Tungasigarh: Ravi
Mandi, May 29 Addressing a gathering on the concluding day of the seven-day long Tungasi Dev mela at Kuthah in Chachiot, Ravi said the IPH schemes would be completed in a time bound manner. In all, over IPH schemes worth Rs 1,000 crore are underway in the state in the current year, fulfilling the government’s commitment to provide clean drinking water to each household in the state, he added. He also gave Rs 4 lakh for construction of the community bhawan at Kuthah and Rs 4 lakh for building of the ground there. Later, Ravi gave prizes to the winners of the different event. |
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Zar defends Viplove
Hamirpur, May 29 Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, he said, “The defeat of party candidate O.P. Rattan was due to many factors that the party is analysing, but it is wrong to blame only PCC president Viplove Thakur for it.” He said, “Few disgruntled elements are unnecessarily targeting the PCC president knowing fully that it was a collective responsibility of the party.” |
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INTUC rejects HPAIC offer
Nurpur, May 29 The INTUC general secretary said here today that the MD had communicated that two months’ salary of the workers of the HIMAGRICO was being released. The INTUC general secretary had given an ultimatum on the management a few days back in which he had threatened to resort to indefinite hunger strike before the unit if the management did not release salaries to the workers regularly and ensure its revival by June 15. |
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Drive to clean Beas tributary
Kullu, May 29 In a press note here today, chairman of the society Abhishek Rai said the heaps of garbage dumped here and there in the town were the main cause of Sarwari’s getting polluted. He urged the municipal council to put wire mesh on both banks of the rivulet passing through the town so that people could be restrained from throwing garbage into it. Garbage bins should also be placed at different spots, he added. |
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2 students hurt in clash
Nahan, May 29 The injured, Ankush and Mukesh, hail from Shimla and Kangra, respectively. Both of them are pursuing B.Pharma course. Three students of the colleges have been named in the FIR. |
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More than 12 activists belonging to the ABVP were injured when the police resorted to lathicharge on the students in the boys’ hostel well past midnight despite the situation having been diffused after yesterday’s clashes on the campus.
