Shimla, July 2
The protesting PTA appointees today called off their 10-day-old strike after a written agreement was signed with the government, which accepted most of their demands.

The PTA Lecturers and Teachers Union was invited for talks to resolve the impasse following their strike from June 23. The 15,000 teachers had been demanding the framing of a PTA policy and continuation of their services.

The union office-bearers met education minister I.D. Dhiman and other senior officials of the Education Department. After signing of the written agreement, the minister visited the venue near the secretariat where teachers had been observing a relay fast. The agitators’ leaders also met Chief Minister. P.K. Dhumal.

Dhumal assured the PTA appointees that the government would protect their interests and a proper PTA policy would be framed. He assured that no regular teacher would be appointed in place of PTA appointees. He also assured that the government would ensure release of the grant-in-aid to PTAs so that the appointees get their salaries on time.

Shishupal Gazta, general secretary of the union, said the government had accepted most of their demands, including continuation of their services, release of the pending grant-in-aid and a fair inquiry, which would be done on the basis of the parameters laid down at the time of their appointment during the Congress regime. The union had decided to hold a state-level protest rally here on July 4 in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government towards their demands.

Shimla, July 2
Even as the opinion of forensic experts regarding the use of another weapon, besides the five seized revolvers and pistols is awaited, the police is trying to verify the antecedents of eight persons arrested in connection with the shooting at a factory in Shoghi.

Though the police is awaiting the forensic report, sources in Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) said pellets had been recovered from the bodies of the injured persons. “We have recovered pellets from the bodies of injured persons bodies and handed them over to the police as case property,” said a senior doctor. Surprisingly, the police has chosen to wait for the report from the Junga forensic laboratory rather than trying to look for the other weapon used in the incident.

R.M. Sharma, SP, said 11 shells had been recovered from the factory out of which eight were of a pistol and three of a revolver. Besides, 27 pistol cartridges and 19 revolver rounds had been found.

The possibility of another weapon being used during the shooting is being probed after there were reports that pellet injuries had been sustained by the injured persons under treatment at the IGMC though Amarjeet had died after being hit in the head by a bullet.

Investigation has confirmed that the weapons were not licensed in the name of the factory but in the name of an individual. “The question is that an individual can keep and use the licensed weapon issued in his name for his own safety and not to protect the factory management which can engage private security guards who are trained professionals” informed a senior police officer.

The antecedents of five persons who opened fire on workers of Virgo Metallic Appliances Pvt Ltd on June 30 are being verified from their native places in Varanasi (UP) and Bihar

The eight persons, five of whom are now in police remand, are being interrogated about the circumstances that led them to open fire on the protesting factory workers. All of them, including manager Tripathi, will remain in police custody till July 5.

Shimla, July 2
The state government will seek intervention of the Central Government for the implementation of the Model Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act in the national capital.

Horticulture minister Narender Bragta said this after a meeting on the issue with Union minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma in New Delhi. He said the government would evolve political consensus on the issue and create the right atmosphere for its implementation. He said although the Act was passed long ago, its implementation had been withheld by the Delhi Government under pressure from powerful business lobby that was exploiting fruit growers by charging commission from them instead of buyers, as per provision of the Act.

The government had repeatedly taken up the matter with the Delhi Government and it agreed to implement the Act but always backtracked subsequently citing one reason or the other. He said a unanimous resolution on the issue was adopted at the recent conference of the horticulture ministers of hilly states, but no positive action had been taken in the matter so far.

He said he had also taken up the matter with the Union Agriculture Ministry and the Centre was already aware of the issue. The hill states would take a united stand on the long-pending demands with the Centre and forcefully plead their case on various issues. He demanded separate policies for hill states keeping in view limited resources and tough geographical and topographical conditions of these states.

Shimla, July 2
Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal said today that the Amarnath shrine land controversy in Jammu and Kashmir had exposed the “so-called” secular parties which clamoured for providing more facilities for Haj pilgrims but opposed any such courtesy for those visiting the holy Amarnath cave.

He said that the developments were a fallout of the rift between the Congress and the PDP, which was looking for an issue to bring down the government.

However, the party had chosen a wrong issue to carry out its political designs as it would undermine communal harmony and unity of the country. The controversy had completely exposed secular parties who had been adopting double standards on such an important emotional issue. The BJP had supported the bandh call given by the VHP in this connection.

Replying to a question he asserted that there was no case for reducing VAT on diesel and cooking gas as the existing rates of tax were already below the floor rate. He said that the prices of petrol and diesel in the neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh ranged from Rs 18 to Rs 25 but in India the rates were more than double mainly due to the high import duty and other central taxes. The Centre had a major role in the matter the state could not do much.

Further, the 13th Finance Commission and the central government had been pressing the state for raising more resources which could not be achieved by reducing taxes. He also clarified the national BJP president Rajnath Singh had only asked the BJP-ruled states to reduce VAT where the rates were higher than the floor rates which was not the case in Himachal Pradesh.

Shimla, July 2
The Tibetan Solidarity Committee, Dharamsala, today organised a protest rally and a candlelight procession against the atrocities and religious repression unleashed against the innocent people inside Tibet.

Besides the Tibetan refugees living here, many leaders and prominent figures from various Himalayan states, who are here in connection with the anniversary celebrations of the Shimla convention anniversary, also participated in the protest.

Dolker Lhamo Kirti and Dolma Tshering Teykhang, members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, demanded that a permanent solution to the Tibetan problem must be found. They sought the intervention of the international community to end the misery of Tibetan living inside Chinese-occupied Tibet.

Shimla, July 2
Accusing the Jammu and Kashmir government of indulging in political opportunism, the BJP said today that the decision to annul the land allotment to the Amarnath Shrine Board had hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

In a statement issued here today, state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur said the J&K government was playing with the religious sentiments of Hindus in the garb of secularism. “Despite a Cabinet decision to transfer 100 acres of land in the name of the Amarnath Shrine Board, the government had succumbed to pressure from separatist fundamental forces,” he said.

The BJP leader said the Congress had always followed the policy of minority appeasement but in J and K where the Hindus were a minority, their religious sentiments were being hurt. “The situation in J & K is very sensitive as separatist outfits like Jaish-e-Muhammad and Hizbul Mujahideen are openly raising anti-national slogans with Pakistani flags fluttering atop buildings,” he said. The BJP chief said the BJP and VHP had given a call for a nationwide band.

Shimla district BJP chief Ganesh Dutt said that a protest rally would be taken out from Lower Bazar up to Chaura Maidan tomorrow as part of the Bharat bandh tomorrow. Dutt said keeping in view public convenience only shops and commercial establishments would remain closed and there would be no ‘chakka jam’.

Shimla, July 2
The office-bearers of the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) would be entitled to draw travelling and daily allowances as per norms for undertaking journey for official duties.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here today that the government had accepted their demand for bringing them under the fold of eligibility for drawing TA and DA for undertaking the journey for official duties.

He said the government would provide grants-in-aid to the gram panchayats to meet the expenditure on this account. He said best efforts would be made to make accommodation available to them in government rest houses for such representatives.

The decision would benefit 30,081 panchayati raj representatives and employees for which Rs. 3.20 crore had been provided in the budget. He said the monthly remuneration of panchayat sahayaks had been enhanced to Rs 3,120 who from Rs 2,340. The panchayat sahayaks had been empowered to function as panchayat secretaries to operate the panchayat developmental funds.

Shimla, July 2
The government had decided to order a vigilance inquiry into illicit felling in the Balsan area of Theog forest division of Shimla circle.

Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal said that many incidents of illicit felling had been taking place in the area for the past some time. He also informed that the Chamab-Bhadarwah road would be improved and upgraded to ensure better connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal. The project would cost over Rs 135 crore.

He said research on diversification of agriculture would get a boost with sanctioning of five major projects to the agriculture university, Palampur, under the national agriculture innovation programme. The university would get Rs 18.18 crore for carrying out research on sea buckthorn, biodiversity and livelihood in the Chamba region, improving livelihood of marginal farmers and seed production.

Hamirpur, July 2
In a complaint to the Chief Justice of the high court, some delegates of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank (KCCB) have accused “Lekh Raj Rana, one of the present directors of the board of the bank, of allegedly raising loans worth Rs 14.3 lakh from three different branches of the bank around Palampur in violation of Section 20 of the Banking Regulation Act.”

The complainant say, “The inquiry conducted by the deputy registrar (cooperative societies) had found him guilty and recommended action against him. Though two directors have been terminated on similar grounds, the bank management has been protecting him.”

District audit officer Yog Raj said, “The deputy registrar (cooperative societies) is under transfer and the report in the matter was submitted to the RCS, Shimla, on January 10, 2007.”

General manager of the bank S.C. Sharma said, “No irregularities have been committed by the director and thus no action has been taken against him. Moreover, he has already repaid the loan.”

Nahan, July 2
Subhash Chand (20) and Karam Chand (21), residents of Bhooppur village, near Paonta, were killed on the spot at Paonta ‘Y’ point on Wednesday evening after their motorcycle had a head-on collision with a bus coming from the opposite direction. The deceased, who received severe head injuries, were immediately rushed to Paonta Hospital but both were declared brought dead.

DSP V. S. Thakur said bus driver Bhuvneshwar, a resident of Praduni village in Paonta tehsil, who had escaped from the spot was later arrested.