Dharamsala, August 18
Amid reports of terrorists from Jammu and Kashmir sneaking into in Chamba district, the Army authorities have stepped up vigil. Sources in the rising star headquarters at Yol cantonment said the Army had stepped up vigil on roads and interior areas of the district with the support of other security agencies.

Due to counter-insurgency programme being carried out by the armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir, many terrorists were trying to take refuge and create hideouts in remote areas of Chamba district, they said.

The search operations assume significance in view of the fact that Manimahesh yatra is to commence in the Bharmour area of the district from August 14. Lakhs of pilgrims undertake this yatra besides visiting various temples. The security of pilgrims will be of prime concern to the Army and other security forces deployed in the area.

Terrorists have struck in the district in the past also. On August 4, 1998, suspected J&K terrorists killed 35 persons in Kalaban and Satrundi areas here. All those killed were labourers constructing roads in the area. On September 16, 2007, militants took away 700 cattle from villagers of Kunda and Salooni areas of the district after which local and J&K police launched a joint search operation, but with no result.

Shimla, August 18
The state government today reversed the decision of the previous Congress regime to cancel the allotment of the 70-MW Dhamwari-Sunda hydroelectric project and gave the go-ahead to the Dhamwadi Power Company for the execution of the project on the terms agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier.

As per the decision was taken by the Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, all cases pending in different courts concerning the project would be withdrawn. The company had moved court against the decision to cancel the project and the matter was later referred for arbitration. The company would supply free power to the government in accordance with the MoU.

The Cabinet also accorded approval to the Skill Upgradation with Job-Outsourcing Guarantee (SUJOG) Scheme aimed at providing training to workers in the age group of 18 to 45 years. A panel consisting of the director (social justice and empowerment), the director (industries), the labour commissioner, the director (technical education) and two office-bearers from the registered association of industries would be responsible for the implementation of the scheme. The trainees from low-income group would be given stipend by the state government.

It approved norms for granting no-objection certificates to private institutions to run various programmes such as graduate courses in arts, science, commerce, law, Sanskrit, journalism and postgraduate courses, including business administration on the condition of reserving 25 per cent seats for the candidates from the state. The fee structure would be determined by a state-level committee consisting of the principal secretary (education), the vice-chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University and the director of education.

It decided to amend the Himachal Pradesh Civil Services (Premature Retirement) Rules, 1976, to replace the condition of 30 years of regular service or attainment of 55 years of age with 20 years of regular service or attaining the age of 45 years for government doctors seeking premature retirement.

It also approved amendment to the memorandum of association of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation to enlarge its scope for executing power hydropower, thermal, solar and wind power projects within and outside the state and to extend its operations overseas as well.

It decided to issue a “letter of intent” in favour of the Global Knowledge Network Society, New Delhi, for providing education in physiotherapy, paramedical services, management, education, law, ayurveda, nursing and the Maharishi Markandeshwar University Trust, Ambala, to educate youth in emerging vocational trades.

It also approved the renaming of the Disabled Home at Sundernagar as the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Children with Special Abilities (HPICSA) and sanctioned six posts of teachers besides increasing the fixed pay of 11 serving teachers of the institution. It permitted Milch Livestock Improvement Society, Solan, to admit up to 100 students for the veterinary pharmacists training course in the private sector.

Kangra, August 18
Tension prevailed on the campus of MCM DAV College as supporters of the Azad Chhatar Sangh (ACS) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) held a protest against the college principal R.K. Ohri and burnt his effigy here today. They were protesting against the alleged deliberate rejection of the nomination papers of 26 candidates belonging to the SFI and the ACS.

The situation became tension soon after 26 nomination papers were rejected and Manuj Trehan and Sahil Sareen, both of the ABVP, were elected unopposed as the president and the vice-president of the SCA. The nominations were filed today only.

The police was deployed at the college gate after SFI and ACS supporters held a demonstration there and raised slogans against Ohri. DSP O.P. Jamwal also reached there to defuse the situation.

The college administration locked the gate and the principal left the college from the back door. He even failed to provide details to the waiting mediapersons.

ACS campus president Sanjay Koul said nomination papers of Swain Chouhan, Sandeep and Vishal Patrawal were rejected on baseless grounds.

SFI unit president Ravinder also alleged that the rejection of nominations of SFI candidates Nitin Kumar, D. Singh Rana and Dheeraj for the posts of president, vice-president and joint secretary, respectively, was a deliberate move. He alleged it was done on the directions of the state government through a BJP MP. The college was not getting 95 per cent grant-in-aid and the rejection of nomination papers was a step towards getting things settled with the government, he alleged.

The students took out a rally through the main market of the town raising slogans against the principal carrying black flags. They went to the Jayanti Vihar locality and held a demonstration outside the residence of Ohri.

SFI leaders Sanjay and Vikram threatened to hold a demonstration at the college gate and said they would not allow the college to function. They also hinted at taking a legal recourse against the rejection of nomination papers.

When contacted on the phone at his residence, college principal R.K. Ohri said the allegations levelled against him were baseless. He, however, failed to provide details of the rejection process saying he forgot to carry the relevant papers with him and did not remember the reasons for the rejection.

Shimla, August 18
Twentytwo candidates, including those from the SFI, the ABVP, the NSUI and the AISF, today filed nominations for the SCA elections in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) scheduled for August 21.

The nomination paper of Kanchan was rejected by the authorities during the scrutiny. Six nominations were filed for the post of president, five for vice-president, six for secretary and five for the post of joint secretary.

The total number of candidates who will remain in the fray will become clear tomorrow after the withdrawals till 12. 30 pm. Those who have filed nominations for the post of president include Ajay Nadda, Ankit Sachdeva, Amit Kumar, Chand Kumari, Shikha Chauhan and Suraj. Anup Thakur, Arun Kumar, Bharti Devi, Chand Kumari and Dalip Negi have filed papers for the post of vice-president.

Those in the fray for the post of secretary include Jasbir Singh, Kamal Chand, Munish Chandel, Rajeev Kumar, Surender Kumar and Virender Singh.

Meanwhile, with the town witnessing bright sunshine after a gap of almost one week, canvassing for the election also gained momentum today.

The BJP, the Congress and the CPM have sought support for their student outfits of the ABVP, the NSUI and the SFI, respectively.

The police and the HPU authorities are maintaining strict vigil to check the presence of outsiders on the campus or in the boys’ hostels. The authorities are ensuring strict implementation of the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee.

Dharamsala, August 18
The Himachal Pradesh School Education Board (HPSEB) has decided to give another chance to the students, who had failed to qualify X, XI and XII examinations under the old syllabus.

In a press release issued here today, Rajesh Sharma, the secretary of the Board, said earlier, examination held in March was the last chance for the students, who failed to pass under the old syllabus.

However, the students, who failed to qualify in March too, would now be given another chance. For them another examination will be conducted in September.

The students, who want to take the examination, can apply at the Board’s counter by September 10 with fee of Rs 1,000.

Nurpur, August 18
Agitating farmers from lower Kangra district today blocked traffic on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway at Jassur chowk under banner of the Kisan Vikas Sabha to press their demand to lift ban on felling of trees grown on their private land.

Hundreds of farmers sat on dharna on the highway raised slogans in favour of their demand.

The sabha has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the SDM on August 11 and warned to block the traffic if their demand was not accepted by August 17.

Jagdeep Samyal president of the sabha said the agitation of the farmers would intensify if their demand to lift the ban was not fulfilled.

He also informed that the sabha would soon approached the local MLAs and urged them to raise the issue to the Chief Minister.

The blockade, which remained about two hours, was lifted after assurance of the local administration that the demand would be passed to the state government.

Shimla, August 18
Drawing lessons from the tragic Naina Devi stampede that claimed 147 lives, the government has decided to designate the inspector general of police (law and order) as the authority to make foolproof security arrangement for the Kullu Dussehra festival to be held from October 9 to 15.

Presiding over a meeting to review arrangements for the festival, Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal here today underlined the need for making effective security arrangements. He said attention should be paid to regulate the movement of devotees. “The sanctity of the festival in which all village deities of the valley participate should be maintained and at the same time it must be ensured that the public is not put to any inconvenience,” he said.

The government would depute the inspector-general of police (law and order) to chalk out the plan for security arrangements. He directed the law enforcing agencies to take extra care during the fair. He said frisking of visitors should be carried out at the entry points to the valley.

He advised the organising committee to encourage artistes from all over the state and provide them prime time for performance along with other cultural troupes invited from outside the state. Besides international troupes, cultural troupes from different parts of the country would also be performing during the festival, but local artistes should not be overlooked.

Extra care must be taken during the inaugural and concluding processions of the “rath yatra” of the presiding deity Shri Raghunath Ji for which cooperation of “kardars” of local deities, devotees and local people should be taken. Arrangements should be made for live TV coverage of the festival, especially the colourful inaugural ceremony, so that people around the world could watch it. Proper arrangements would be made to maintain hygienic conditions during the festival, he added.

Shimla, August 18
Keeping in view the inconvenience being faced by public due to restriction on plying of vehicles on sealed and restricted roads in the state capital, the state government plans to amend the Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Act, 2007.

The matter was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal here today. The matter will be placed before the Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on August 27. It is proposed that the charges for issuing permits for using these roads be reduced considerably.

The need to amend the Act was felt as the restriction on plying of vehicles on the roads made these areas practically out of bounds for people. This had led to resentment among the residents. The government is considering authorising deputy commissioner and superintendent of police to issue permits for restricted routes, as was the past practice.  The Chief Minister is of the view that there should be decentralisation of the permit-issuing procedure so that the public does not face any inconvenience.

Even in case of MLAs, it is being proposed that the authority to issue permits be vested in the Vidhan Sabha as was the past practice. With the Act coming into force, it was only the Home Department that had been authorised to issue such permits.

Keen to shed the shackles of colonial era and the more recent babudom, terms like dignitary, high dignitary and former official personage would be dropped. There was resentment among the public as those having their houses along restricted or sealed roads were being denied permits. Moreover, the procedure had been made very cumbersome with certificates from several agencies being required for processing applications for such permits.

There are seven restricted and 10 sealed routes in Shimla on which one can ply vehicles only after obtaining permit from the Home Department.

Shimla, August 18
The Himachal Government has sought Rs 500 crore as interim relief from the Centre for relief and restoration measures in rain-devastated areas of the state.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here today interacted with the deputy commissioners through video conference to take stock of the damages caused due to heavy rains across the state.

He directed them to ensure that communication infrastructure, water supply schemes and other emergency services resume at the earliest.

He said as per preliminary estimates the loss on account of damage to crops and public and private property was estimated at more than Rs 1,000 crore.

He asked the deputy commissioners to sent detailed reports of loss so that exact figures of loss could be compiled in consultation with all the departments concerned for presentation before the Government of India.

The rains were still continuing and reports of damage were pouring in from every part of the state. The major loss had been on account of damage to roads, water supply schemes and washing away of the fertile agriculture land of farmers.

The local administration was submitting daily report of the loss and damages and the situation was being closely monitored at the state headquarters.

Dhumal directed deputy commissioners to ensure that every road in their district was open and landslides removed immediately for smooth plying of the vehicular traffic and maintaining supply line to inner most parts of the state.

He said that the apple season was at its peak and all roads in the apple growing areas should be properly maintained. The Theog-Rohru road should be opened for heavy vehicles by removing landslides at Chhaila. Restoration work in respect of national and state highways be carried out on war footing. 

Bilaspur, August 18
Krishan Kumar Kaushal, state general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP), has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to help in ensuring safe visit by devotees to hilltop shrine of Naina Devi by allowing construction of remaining a few kilometres of the Kotlla-Badharan road which would provide an alternative road from Anandpur Sahib to the shrine.

He has also urged the central provision of sufficient funds for the construction of the road from the central pool in the interest of the devotees who come to the shrine from all parts of the country.

In a representation given to the Prime Minister, Kaushal said presently there was only one narrow, rough and steep road to the shrine, which was insufficient to meet the huge rush of piligrims, particularly on Sundays and holidays all-year round.

Kaushal said the Himachal Pradesh Government had surveyed the Kotla-Badharan road, started the construction work and had constructed 3 km of the road with expenditure of Rs 23 lakh. But the Forest Department intervened and stopped the construction of the remaining part of the road.

This stoppage of the construction work has resulted in depriving people of the facility of an additional and easy alternative to the shrine-temple from Anandpur Sahib. This could have provided a great facility and a hazard-free access to and return from the temple for the pilgrims.

Kaushal has urged an immediate intervention of the Prime Minister in the matter while he also urged Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to take up the matter with the PMO to ensure the safety of the pilgrims at the shrine.

Shimla, August 18
Alarmed over the appearance of scab fungus in apple orchards in some pockets of Shimla Kullu and Mandi, the Horticulture Department has despatched 37 tonnes of additional fungicide to contain the disease.

The five teams deputed by the department to ascertain the status of the infection following reports of outbreak of the disease have confirmed that the orchards in Kharapathar, Baghi, Bashaili Aunti, Basaini, Jhanjheli and Chirgaon have been affected. However, compared to the morssinona fungus, which has hit the orchards across the state, the scab infection is confined to some pockets only.

Director (horticulture) Gurdev Singh said the reappearance of the disease, which played havoc with orchards in the 1970s, made it evident that it had not been wiped out from the state. The growers could not afford to remain complacent anymore on this front and they must follow the spraying schedule strictly. He said many growers had been skipping spraying sessions in the belief that scab had been eradicated. Any laxity in taking precautionary and remedial measures could cost them dearly.

He said fungicides, like Syllet, Indophil, Dithane, Score, Antracol and Captax, were effective against both morssinona and scab. The spraying needs to be done every fortnight, he added.

Meanwhile, the growers have been caught in a difficult situation. The attack of twin fungal disease is forcing them to pluck the fruit early, but they are in no position to transport the produce to the market due to numerous road blockades caused by landslides.

Meanwhile, horticulture minister Narender Bragta held a meeting to review the relief and restoration operations being undertaken in the apple-growing areas of the state. He said efforts were afoot to remove blockades and ensure smooth movement of traffic. He said about 80 JCBs had been pressed into service for clearing roads in Shimla district. He personally visited some of these areas.

Bragta said scientists of Horticulture and Forestry University and the department would provide the required assistance to growers. Camps would be conducted in Mandi, Kullu and Shimla districts to create awareness about scab and other diseases. He said about 60 lakh apple boxes had been sent to various markets of the country so far. A cell had been set up in his office to monitor the situation and regular information was being collected in that regard.

Solan, August 18
The manner in which the HP Public Service Commission has failed to consider candidates possessing postgraduate diploma in personnel management and labour welfare (PGDPMLW) for the post of labour officer, a question mark has been put over veracity of the course being run by HP University.

The commission had advertised for three posts of labour officer in August, 2007. It had failed to consider the candidates possessing the diploma and rejected as many as 40 such aspirants.

A section of such aspirants, who received rejection letters told The Tribune that despite getting a clarification regarding such candidates from the university, they had failed to be considered for the post.

Though the additional chief secretary (labour and employment) had sought a clarification prior to conduct of a written examination on May 9 about the eligibility of such candidates and had also informed the commission’s secretary to consider them as the aspirants.

Even the deputy registrar (academic) had clarified that the diploma was equivalent to the diploma in labour laws and the course also had an approval of the dean of studies, the commission had its own logic to reject such forms.

The commission had advertised an essential qualification for the post as a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognised university and a degree or a diploma in labour laws or MBA. The commission had therefore rejected the forms of those having the PGDPMLW.

The information sought by the rejected candidates under the RTI revealed that the commission observed that there was no provision of the diploma in personnel management and labour welfare under the essential qualification in the recruitment and promotion rules of the labour officer. Further the qualification of the said diploma could be considered inconsonance with the rules.

The commission finally conducted a written examination on July 29 and interviews were to take place soon. The aspirants were now seeking cancellation of the written examination.

They said it was unfortunate that the candidates having equivalent qualification were being debarred from appearing in the examination while those having MBA as a qualification but having no degree or diploma in the labour welfare had been considered for the post.

Nahan, August 18
An outer wall of the Ram temple situated on the banks of the Yamuna river in Paonta Sahib was washed away in flash floods yesterday, posing a threat to the oldest temple, popularly known as Dei ji Sahiba temple.

Tehsildar, Paonta, who is also a temple officer, confirmed that the flash floods had washed away a part of ancient havan kund and shed the 300-year-old temple. He added that efforts were on to manage budget for the repair of the damaged portion of the temple. Two years ago Yamuna water had damaged the riverside portion of the temple, but authorities paid no heed to it.

Sundernagar, August 18
Gujari Devi (38), a resident of Kummi village, committed suicide by consuming poison today.

The family of the deceased took her to the zonal hospital, Mandi, where she expired. The body was handed over to the family on Monday after the post-mortem.

The police has started an inquiry under Section 174 of the CrPC.