Shimla, August 11
In order to ensure that no haphazard construction activity takes place in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Urban and Regional Planning and Development Act-2008 will replace the earlier Act (enacted in 1977) that did not cover the entire state, especially the rural areas.

The new Act is presently being examined by the Law Department and is likely to be placed before the Cabinet shortly. It is being expected that the new Act will be placed before the Assembly when it meets for the brief monsoon session in the first week of September.

The Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, was applicable only to 20 planning areas and 34 special areas, thereby leaving most of the rural areas out of its purview. This resulted in unregulated growth of towns and ribbon development along the national and state highways. At present, the TCP Act is applicable in only 22 towns of the state and 29 urban areas are still out of its ambit.

Interestingly, bringing the entire state under the control of the TCP Act will ease out the situation for the people residing in rural areas. As per the proposal, those residing in rural areas would be saved from undertaking cumbersome procedures as they will be able to seek permission for construction by way of a simple application along with revenue records to prove their ownership. This is also being done to dispel fears that extension of the Act to the whole of the state will create problems for rural people.

The main objective of bringing about the new Act is to regulate coming up of engineering colleges, medical colleges, shopping malls, hotels, commercial complexes and other such activity in which there is a major spurt in recent years. “Interestingly, most of the private players who are investing crores in these projects are getting away by not making any conversion charges on land bought in rural or semi-urban areas,” said a senior official.

The new Act will regulate all such commercial activity in any part of the state by way of having a district-level committee headed by the DC and a sub-divisional committee headed by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM). The Town Planner will be its member secretary, along with officials of the PWD, the IPH, electricity, forest and other departments.

The new Act will curb all unregulated growth along the highways that hampers their further expansion scope.

Shimla, August 11
About 40 BJP leaders and party workers were arrested by the police as they held a dharna outside the Raj Bhawan in support of the agitation being spearheaded by the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti in Jammu and Kashmir.

Led by state BJP president Jai Ram Thakur, district unit chief Ganesh Dutt, party legislators and workers marched towards the Raj Bhawan around 11 am. They raised slogans against the UPA regime for following a policy of appeasement of minorities.

As the BJP workers tried to force their way into the Raj Bhawan, they were arrested by the police personnel present there. All prominent leaders, including Jai Ram, Suresh Bhardwaj and Ganesh Dutt, were arrested by the police. They were taken to the Chotta Shimla police station in buses and jeeps and let off only after hour an hour.

The protesters were demanding that the 100 acre land should be restored to the Amarnath Shrine Board so that facilities could be created for the convenience of pilgrims. The state BJP chief said the UPA regime was responsible for aggravating the problem. He said the agitation would continue till the land was given back to the shrine board.

The BJP would also observe “rasta roko” from 9 am to 11 am on August 13 in view of the all-India call given by the BJP in protest against the happenings in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bajrang Dal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the ABVP and other socio-religious organisations also participated in the dharna. All state and district-level office-bearers of the BJP participated in the dharna.

Solan, August 11
With additional director-general of police (ADGP) B.S.Thind failing to join investigations citing ill-health, the crucial investigations into a cheating and extortion case registered against him at Parwanoo has been further delayed.

Though he was slated to appear before the Parwanoo police today, he has sent a handwritten application through an official envoy citing heart ailment as the reason for his absence today.

While confirming the information, DSP Parwanoo Ramesh Pathania said, “We have received his request today and as per his convenience, he has been directed to appear on August 30 for the investigations. A copy of this summon has been sent through an official envoy to his Delhi address.”

ADGP Thind, who is posted in the state Human Rights Commission , in his written request citing Himachal Sadan, New Delhi, as his new place of stay, has requested the Parwanoo police to accept his absence today in lieu of his doctor’s suggestion.

He had further requested exemption for another 15 days and stated that he would be available after August 27 as he had to attend courts at Chandigarh on August 25 and 26.

The investigation in the case which was registered on June 15 had been put on hold due to his absence. The Parwanoo police had earlier sent personal envoys to serve him summons at his official residence in Shimla.

A similar exercise was undertaken at his Chandigarh-based residence and his in-laws place by the Parwanoo police. Though he was not found there, his servants had reportedly received the information about his appearance before the Parwanoo police today.

The case, which was registered after a Parwanoo-based businessman Ashok Mittal made a written complaint with the police, had swung into limelight as it involved a senior police official.

Mittal had furnished an audio CD allegedly having taped evidence of ADGP Thind demanding lakhs from him in lieu of getting his shop vacated.

Meanwhile, the police had already sought information from one SP, while two more SPs were likely to be summoned soon. Senior police officers, however, said the ADGP was using evasive tactics to escape investigations as his voice samples were to be taken now.

Shimla, August 11
Encouraged by the massive public response to the “Jan Jan Sanjivani” programme, the Forest Department has decided to promote plantation of medicinal species through public participation on a much larger scale from the next year.

As against the target of 12.7 lakh saplings, the department distributed 15,00,844 saplings under the programme. The department is planning to distribute 45 to 50 lakh medicinal and wild fruit plants under the programme next season, which would be planted in compact blocks in villages.

The maximum demand was for amla species of which as many as 3,88,629 saplings were distributed. It was followed by wild pomegranate (daru) with 1,36,470 saplings, bhera 89,350 saplings, ritha 56,386 saplings and harad 30,601 saplings. In urban areas, Aloe vera topped the list with 26,328 saplings. The demand for amla was much more, but the department was not able to fully meet it.

Principal chief conservator of forests Pankaj Khullar said the programme had provided a fair idea of the type of species the villagers needed and the field staff of the department would further ascertain from the families their requirements during the exercise to check the survival rate. Arrangements would be made accordingly to raise nurseries for the next season.

The thrust on the medicinal and wild fruit plants would not take the focus away from the regular plantation programme of the department and additional plants would be raised in nurseries for the purpose. The total number of saplings to be raised for the next season would range from 80 to 85 lakh.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests A.K. Gulati, who is overseeing the implementation of the programme, said the ultimate aim was to encourage people to grow medicinal plants and other useful species on a commercial scale so that they could gain economically. Once the villagers started reaping economic benefits, the programme would sustain on its own. The department would try to coordinate with villagers to ensure that saplings of a particular species were planted on a large area in compact blocks so that the effort could be exploited on a commercial scale.

Nurpur, August 11
Farmers from different parts of the area held a demonstration under the banner of the Kisan Vikas Sabha, Nurpur, here today. They were protesting against the ban on felling trees standing on private land. Led by sabha president Jadeep Samyal, farmers raised slogans in favour of their demand.

They also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through local the SDM. Members of the sabha said trees like khair, poplar and eucalyptus could help improve the economic condition of farmers. Moreover, their felling had no adverse effect on environment. Farmers also took out a procession.

They said farmers would neither grow trees in their fields nor look after plantation if the government did not lift ban on felling trees standing on private land. The sabha also threatened to block traffic on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway at Jassur on August 18.

Solan, August 11
Three persons, an Army lance naik, an industrialist and an 11-year-old boy, committed suicide in different parts of Parwanoo subdivision here today.

In the first incident, lance naik Arvind Kumar Pandey (31), who hailed from Puresubidhan Pandey village in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, shot himself in the neck using his service rifle at Kasauli cantonment. The incident took place around 7.30 am at the Second Radio Monitoring Company, where he had reported on sentry duty at 6.10 am.

According to Parwanoo DSP Ramesh Pathania, who visited the site soon after the incident, Pandey went to ease himself around 7.30 am. As he did not return even after quite some time, his associates started looking for him. He was found dead in a toilet.

The bullet had pierced through the neck and the head before hitting out through the tinned roof of the toilet. He was married in 2004 and his wife was staying with his parents in his native village. He looked under stress for the past some time and had spoken to his brother, deployed at Yol Cantonment in Dharamsala, last evening complaining of severe headache.

In the second incident, industrialist Vijay Mehra (60) of Sector 4 of Parwanoo committed suicide by hanging himself in his office. The incident came to light around 7.30 am this morning when the unit employees came to office. He had left behind a suicide note claiming all the responsibility for the extreme step. Addressed to his wife, the suicide note portrays emotional state of his mind where he had apologised for this cowardly act and had also advised his daughter-in-law to take care of her health. He used a nylon rope to hang himself.

On coming to know about the incident, his son took him to the local ESI hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police later got a post-mortem examination conducted before handing over the body to the family.

In the third incident, 11-year-old Mukesh Kumar hanged himself at his house after he was refused to go to his grandparents’ house at Chandi village, near Kuthar. He used a dupatta to commit suicide. The police said the boy was disturbed at his mother’s refusal to let him go to his grandparents’ house. He quietly went upstairs and took the extreme step. His mother was alone at home when the child committed suicide.

Shimla, August 11
A day after the controversial elections to the State Olympic Association, the new body headed by forest minister J.P. Nadda today unfolded a Rs 40-crore plan to strengthen the sports infrastructure in the state over the next five years.

Addressing a joint press conference here today along with Anurag Thakur, MP and newly elected general secretary of the association, Nadda said 22 out of the total 34 delegates supported him. Sensing that he did not have the numbers, Ram Lal Thakur left mid-way during the meeting. He said Thakur had remained at the helm for over 20 years during which the sports in the state suffered extreme neglect, he alleged. With his exit from office, a dark chapter had come to end and sportspersons could now look for a positive change, he said.

Anurag Thakur, who is also the president of the state cricket association, said his association would spare Rs 25 crore for the development of other games and the remaining Rs 15 crore would be contributed by various sports associations and the government.

He said the state cricket association would build multipurpose stadia in all districts at a cost of Rs 2 crore each. The experiment of raising funds by involving corporate houses in cricket tournament would be replicated for other games, too. A cricketer, who got only Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 annually around five years ago, was today getting from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 11 lakh annually.

The association would finalise the calendar for various tournaments well in advance and circulate it to various associations. The effort would be to ensure that all state championships were held before the national meets. There would be no politicking in sports and the total focus would be on improving standard of games.

Nahan, August 11
On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, more than 300 Tibetans from the four Tibetan settlements of Sirmaur district took out a candlelight procession in Paonta yesterday.

The procession was organised to pay tributes to the Tibetan martyrs, who lost their lives for the cause of Tibetan freedom.

The procession was led by Wangyal Dhonkhang, president, the Sakya Society, Puruwala, Tenzin Choejay, president, the Tibetan Cholsum Industrial Settlement, Bhoop Pur, Lobsang Dhondup, president, Kham Kathok Tibetan Society, Paonta, and other Tibetan leaders from Kamrou.

The procession started from Bhoop Pur and marched through the main markets of Badripur and Paonta.

The protesters raised slogans against the Chinese suppression. They appealed to the international community to pressurise China to respect human rights in Tibet and stop atrocities on innocent monks, nuns and Tibetans in Tibet.

They demanded that the world leaders should pursue Chinese government to accept the middle way approach of the Dalai Lama and resolve the Tibet issue through dialogue.

Protesters were demanding immediate end to the brutal suppression of the Tibetans in Tibet, unconditional release of Tibetan political prisoners, release of Gedun Choekyi Nyima (the 11th Panchen Lama) and sending international fact finding delegation with international press and human right activists to Tibet.

Bilaspur, August 11
Large number of sports persons drawn from various parts of the state, led by former forests and sports minister and Congress leader Ram Lal Thakur, forced the police here last night to register an FIR against the prominent BJP leaders, including forests minister J.P. Nadda, MP Anurag Thakur, Randhir Sharma, MLA, and others for their alleged forcible entry in the election hall of the state Olympic Association.

They allegedly manhandled a number of election delegates, threatened and abused them. They attempted to disrupt the proceedings and snatch the proceedings register from the returning officer.

Ram Lal Thakur today addressed a press conference at the Circuit House here and said they went to the police station yesterday, but the police refused to register their complaint.

The FIR was registered at night after their dharna at the Bilaspur Sadar Police Station.

He alleged that the police even played a mischief and 15 minutes earlier, an FIR was also registered against them by one of the BJP activists at the city chowki.

Thakur challenged the authority of the Registrar of the State Cooperative Societies for issuing stay order regarding the election to the state Olympic Association.

Thakur contradicted the claims that forests minister J.P. Nadda was elected the president of the State Olympic Association.

“How could a person, who is not even an office- bearer of any state sports association, be elected its president?,” he asked. 

Shimla, August 11
The CPM today criticised the government for taking a step towards privatisation of medical services in the state in the garb of fostering public-private partnership in the health sector.

The CPM state secretary , Rakesh Singha, today said the government notification inviting private parties to set up green field medical colleges and hospitals in Himachal was a step towards privatisation of the medical services.

“The move is a blatant attack on the people of the state as government hospitals will be literally given to them on a platter as they will be attached with the private medical colleges,” he said. He added the BJP had back tracked from its earlier policy of opening medical colleges in the government sector.

Singha said, it was shocking how the government could allow to open a medical college with a corpus amount of Rs. 3 crores, when it was a well known fact that atleast Rs. 50 crores was required for starting a medical college.

“While offering a red carpet to the private players, the government said the regional hospitals at Mandi, Hamirpur and Una would be offered for attachment to the private sector parties,” Singha said.

He added that such a move would make medical education very expensive and would leave the government with virtually no investment. And, in turn, would affect employment opportunities for the Himachali youth. Opposing the proposed move, Singha said, such loot by private players should not be allowed and sentiments of the people about opening of the government medical colleges should be honoured. 

Nahan, August 11
Kaul Singh Thakur, president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, while addressing a district-level party workers conference at the Kisan Bhawan here today, asked the party workers to be fully prepared for the next year Lok Sabha poll and show unity at every level.

Thakur said there was no controversy over the allotment of the party ticket from any parliamentary constituency in the state. Decision of the party high command would be honoured by the party in this regard, he said. He said during the recent Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party caused a loss to the party by dividing the traditional vote bank of the Congress in the state.

He said he would welcome Vijay Singh Mankotia, BSP convener, in the Congress.

Thakur also addressed a press conference on the occasion and said former Chief Minister Vir Bhadra Singh and union minister Anand Sharma would be the star campaigner during the parliamentary polls in the state.

Gangu Ram Musafir, MLA from Pacchad and former speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kush Parmar, MLA from Nahan, and Harshverdhan Chauhan, MLA from Shillai, were also present.

Shimla, August 11
Over 1.30 lakh small and marginal farmers will benefit to the tune of Rs 226 crore from the debt waiver scheme in the state.

Stating this while reviewing the working of the cooperation department here on Wednesday Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal said that the government had sent the required details of the eligible farmers to the Centre for reimbursement of the loan amount waived. These loans had been advanced by Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, the State Cooperative Bank and the Jogindra Central Cooperative Bank.

He stressed the need to form cooperative societies of qualified unemployed youths for undertaking hydroelectric projects so that the cooperative banks could provide funds.

Dhumal said that the government had enhanced the margin of fair price shops run by cooperative societies from 3 to 4 per cent which would strengthen their financial position.