Shimla, August 23
Concerned over the extensive damage being caused to the historical Viceregal Lodge building, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) has decided to take up all works of restoration and conservation of the imposing structure in its own hands.

Peter Ronald Desouza, the director of the IIAS, held a meeting of the committee in Delhi on August 21 for the preservation and restoration of the building.

Other members of the committee include B.N. Goswami and Rajnish Wattas. The Shimla Chapter of the INTACH will also be associated with the task.

Talks were also held with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the imposing structure constructed by Lord Dufferin betwn 1884 and 1888.

With little care and maintenance by the ASI over the years, the building, which was the residence of the Viceroy of India during the British rule, is facing damage due to leakage and other factors. Keen to save the building from further dilapidation, the IIAS has decided to engage services of conservation architects to protect the building.

“We have drawn a panel of 14 prominent conservation architects from all over the country and three of them will be permanently engaged to take care of the conservation aspect of the building,” said a senior official.

The authorities are keen that services of architects, who have prior experience in restoring British time structures, are assigned the task.

DeSouza has already met higher authorities of the human resource development ministry, under whose control the IIAS is.

The IIAS authorities are not happy with the role of the ASI in taking care of the building.

The woodwork in the building is getting decayed because of leakage at several points.

He added that the ASI had started waterproofing work on the flat top of the building, which was still going on. But due to monsoons the leakage took place.

The IIAS said funds were never a problem and some of the amount sanctioned earlier was not utilised.

They said the ASI did not take interest in protecting the monument, which has been the venue for several historical events, especially during independence and Partition.

Shimla, August 23
Governor Prabha Rau and Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal felicitated people of the state on the occasion of Janamashtami.

Rau said Janamashtami was a sacred occasion for Hindus and celebrated with great fervour. “The teachings and philosophy of Lord Krishna is relevant even in modern times and can help one to lead a successful life,” she said.

Dhumal said the philosophy enshrined in the Bhagwad Geeta was the perfect way for living and it was for this very reason that many foreigners had been attracted by it.

“Geeta is the quintessence of the Hindu scriptures and religious philosophy,” he said.

Mandi, August 23
District Congress leaders here today alleged that disgruntled BSP leader V.S. Mankotia and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had hatched a conspiracy to malign the clean image of Virbhadra Singh and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh on the eve of elections last year.

Reacting to Mankotia’s yesterday’s outbursts against Pratibha Singh and Virbhadra Singh on the audiocassette case at Dharamsala.

Congress leaders - Chet Ram Thakur (Chachiot), Pushraj, Mandi councillor, several additional chiefs Chandersekhar (Dharampur), Tarun Pathak, Vikas Kapur, Shashi Sharma and Harinder Sen (Sunderngar) - in a signed statement issued here today alleged that Mankotia and Dhumal had hatched a conspiracy to malign the image of Virbhadra Singh, who had been the CM for the unprecedented five times in the state.

“Mankotia was a disgruntled leader, who had been leading vilification campaign in connivance with Dhumal against Virbhadra Singh since last year”, they alleged.

They alleged that Mankotia and Dhumal had got internal understanding right from the time the fabricated audiocassette was released by Mankotia last year at the time of the Hamirpur byelection last year. “Mankotia’s outbursts on the issue at Dharamsala yesterday is nothing but a ploy to facilitate merger of the BSP with the BJP”, they claimed.

They warned that those involved in the vilification campaign to tarnish Virbhadra Singh’s image would not be spared and people of the state know his contribution for the development of the state.

Shimla, August 23
A high-level committee that met here today to look into complaints of irregularities in the award of contract for supplying CFL lamps has sought a detailed report with regard to technical aspect and procedures followed in granting the supply order to four companies.

Chief secretary Asha Swaroop chaired the meeting with chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) Ajay Mittal and other members of the board being present.

It is reliably learnt that till then the four companies who have been given the contract have been asked to stop the supply.

The committee has asked the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board to settle the issues that have been raised with regard to the tender process.

Some reputed companies like Philips and HPL Somonec had complained to the government with regard to specifications and criteria adopted for grant 
of contract.

The HPSEB had equally distributed the supply order to four companies that had quoted the same rate of Rs 429 for supplying four CFL lamps.

The fact that four companies quoted the same price for a pack of four bulbs raised doubts about their forming a cartel to get the contract.

Under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bijli Bachao Yojna, four CFL lights are to be supplied free of cost to 16.5 lakh families to domestic consumers in the state.

As such a total of 72 lakh bulbs are to be purchased to save energy.

Kangra, August 23
The Tibetan Spiritual leader and temporal head, the Dalai Lama, after wrapping up a 12-day visit to France on Friday will arrive here tomorrow. He inaugurated a temple at Sogyal Rinpoche’s Buddhist center in Lerab-Ling, in the southern town of Roqueredonde there.

According to a press release here today, the Dalai Lama, in his address there, said the only way China can “regain its respectability in the international community” was to “march towards democracy.”

The Dalia Lama said China had increased repression of Tibetans during the Olympic Games in Beijing, and urged the country to “march toward democracy.”

The spiritual leader called for harmony between different religious traditions and for respect for the environment and said, “We have the responsibility to take care of this planet and must extend love to all creatures, trees and beautiful things.”

France’s foreign minister Bernhard Kouchner, first lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy and French human rights minister Rama Yade were also at the consecration ceremony, which was attended by about 2,000 persons.

The release added that the red and gold Lerab-Ling was one of the biggest Tibetan Buddhist temples in the West. It houses a 23-foot (7 m) high golden statue of the Buddha and many holy relics and scriptures. Another golden Buddha sits in the middle of a lake just outside.

Dharamsala, August 23
The composer of National Anthem that stirred the souls of Indians for decades, Capt Ram Singh, was forgotten at his native town Dharamsala.

His 94th birth anniversary passed away on August 15, which was forgotten by the local administration. But the Gorkha community of Dharamsala has organised a function here in the memory of Capt Ram Singh.

Capt Ram Singh, who belonged to Khaniara village adjoining Dharamsala, is remembered for composing the tune for ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

The original script of the anthem was little different. It was ‘Sukh Chain Kee Barkha Barse, Bharat Bhagiya hai Jaga’. The song was based on composition of Rabindranath Tagore and translated into Hindi by Abid Ali.

Capt Ram Singh composed the poem into ‘Quami Tarana’ for Indian National Army (INA) of Subhash Chandra Bose at Singapore in 1943 that later became the National Anthem.

Another composition of Capt Ram Singh, ‘Kadam se Kadam Badaye ja’ infused patriotism among millions of Indians. Capt Ram Singh was born in Khaniara village on August 15, 1914. He joined the Indian Army in 1927.

In 1944, Capt Ram Singh was awarded gold medal by Subhas Chandra Bose for composition of Quami Tarana. Capt Ram Singh also had the distinction of playing the National Anthem of INA in the presence of Mahatama Gandhi in Delhi while in British custody.

Capt Ram Singh was also especially invited by Jawahar Lal Nehru to play the National Anthem, when he unfurled the National Flag of Independent India from the red fort on August 15, 1947 for the first time.

Dharamsala, August 23
Tulsi Ram, a Dalit from Khaniara village, is suffering from throat cancer, but has no source of income to get treatment. He had applied with the local panchayat for grant under the Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP). Under the scheme, the Below the Poverty Line (BPL) families residing in rural areas having income of less than Rs 2,500 per month are provided grant for treatment free of cost.

Tulsi Ram, who is a cobbler, has no regular income. Moreover, after his ailment was detected even that meagre income has dried up. He has two daughters, both of whom are married. Now he is staying in a single-room kucha house in Khainara village.

Despite this, he was denied the grant under the IRDP that could have proved as a last ray of hope for poor Tulsi.

The local block development authorities, who recommend the cases for grant under the IRDP, said they consider the cases under the IRDP only on the recommendation of local panchayat. Tulsi Ram’s case might not have been considered by the Khaniara panchayat, they added.

However, investigation by The Tribune revealed that Tulsi Ram was considered for grant by the local panchayat. However, as he was considered to be supporter of the Opposition party, this could be the reason that the grant has been denied to him. The entire locality of Dalits of Khaniara village in which Tulsi Ram is staying is taken as supporters of the Congress. So the local authorities do not consider them for development programs.

Sources revealed that many people living above the poverty line have been given grant under the IRDP for medical treatment, whereas many living below the poverty line have been left out on the apprehension that they belong to the Opposition party. Officials in local BDO office said they verify the cases recommended by the panchayats on receiving complaint.

However, the denial of grants to deserving people as Tulsi Ram is unfortunate. The entire hope of Tulsi Ram now rests on the representation made by him to higher officials of the district administration. However, remains to be seen if the government grant meant for poor really reach the deserving person.

Shimla, August 23
Some major decisions pertaining to fixing of qualification, norms, fees and syllabi of teaching staff were decided at a meeting of Academic Council of the Himachal Pradesh University here today.

The meeting was chaired by vice-chancellor, Sunil Kumar Gupta, here today. The council approved a penalty of Rs 25,000 for grant of affiliation or extension to start new colleges or courses, who will submit their applications after a prescribed date between June 30 and December 31.

The council also adopted the qualification and the facility norms for appointment of the teaching staff in non-government engineering, B pharmacy, hotel management, MBA and MCA courses.

The syllabi of the faculty of life sciences, commerce and management studies, medical sciences and languages were approved in order to implement an internal assessment at post-graduate level from the session 2009-10.

Kumarhatti, August 23
Residential schools at Dagshai, 4 km from here, were facing a severe monkey menace. Students were at receiving end as group of monkeys kept roaming in the schools throughout the day. Helpless school management have no other option than to remain mute spectators to the problem.

Dagshai has two reputed residential schools. A visit to these schools revealed that children feared to walk alone in the schools. The lone student could be an easy target to the monkeys who pounced in search of eatables.

Fed up from this the students were advised by the school management to remain alert while venturing out of classrooms. The students were also advised to move in groups.

The situation was worse in the residential schools where monkeys usually moved in and around the school mess to find the eatables. It was hard to move freely, pointed out a student of Dagshai Public School. We have to take a security guard protection to move from one spot to other in the school, he rued.

All efforts to get rid of the monkeys have fallen flat, pointed out a senior administrative officer of the DPS. We have written to the district administration and the state government as well but nobody seemed to be taken care of our problem, he said.

Nahan, August 23
A group of students affiliated to the NSUI reportedly assaulted six students of the ABVP students’ union at Shillai market, 120 km from here, on Thursday night.

As many as six students, belonging to the ABVP, and four locals were injured in the quarrel and the police had to resort to lathicharge to control the situation, according to eyewitnesses in Shilli Bazaar.

One employee of the Himachal Pradesh Civil Supplies Corporation was among the four locals, who were allegedly hurt in the lathicharge.

V.S. Thakur, Paonta DSP, said there was no lathicharge at Shillai. He said a report has been registered against the six students of the NSUI. Efforts were on to arrest the accused students, who were on run since Thursday.

The police had raided several places to arrest them. He added that guilty would be brought to book.

Jeet Ram, in charge of the Shillai police station, has also denied the reports of lathicharge. Though the police had to use force to control the students, lathis were not used, he said.

Solan, August 23
The manner in which 18 non-Himachalis have been granted permission to purchase 11.1 bighas of land at a measly price of Rs 5.12 lakh at Rehun village near Kumarhatti has put a question mark over the revenue authorities.

Though this prime piece of land was valued at Rs 12 to 20 lakh per bigha, the undervaluation at mere Rs 5.12 lakh has led to a direct revenue loss to the  government.

R.N. Batta, a property dealer, of the area opined that, “Such a land would fetch anything between Rs 12 to Rs 20 lakh per bigha, instead of the measly Rs 5 lakh per bigha as was the market rate on papers.”

Defending the undervaluation of the land deal, naib tehsildaar Narayan Chauhan said, “As per the prevailing market rate of the land, stamp duty of Rs 37,300 had been deducted. Since we have to charge stamp duty as per the prevailing rate on papers, it was strictly as per law.”

Inquires revealed that 11.1 bighas of land was bought by 18 persons from Haryana. Though the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act 1972 allowed an individual to purchase mere 500 sq m land for residential purpose. In this case, several members of a family had bought several hundred meters of land conveniently using loopholes in the Act.

Perusals of landowners revealed that majority of them were related to each other. While as many as three buyers - Trisha Chowdhary, Nirmal Yadav and Mohit Yadav - had stated house number 1,111, Sector 11, Panchkula, as their address, other three of the 18 buyers - Ram Niwas, Rajinder Yadav and Ajay Yadav - had stated Shambhu Singh as their father and had stated house number 158, Housing Board Colony, Gurgaon, as their address.

Similarly, a father and son duo Shashank Puri and Captain N.P. Puri, had shown house number 1,142, Sector 7, Panchkula, as their address.